February vs May

Worth considering

Still quiet and wet — a little more sunshine than January and the earliest spring flowers appear in the valleys.

• ↑The Azores' subtropical laurel forest starts showing the first signs of life in February — the endemic Azores laurel (Laurus azorica) keeps the valleys green year-round, and February sees the first camellia blooms and wildflowers along the protected valley trails
• ↑Surfing peaks in winter and early spring: the Atlantic groundswells that create challenging ferry crossings also create the best surf conditions at Santa Barbara beach on São Miguel, the left-hand point breaks at São Roque, and the consistently world-class waves at Praia do Norte on Faial

Best match

The hydrangea season begins — the Azores in full flower, whale diversity at its peak, and conditions at their most photogenic.

• ↑Hydrangea peak season begins in late May on São Miguel and Faial: the volcanic roads disappear between walls of blue, pink, and white Hortensia so dense that the landscape is defined by them; the Sete Cidades crater lake rim road and the Faial cliffs above Capelo are the most spectacular; the combination of vivid blue flowers, black lava stone, and the turquoise lake surface below is the defining Azorean landscape image
• ↑May whale watching is outstanding — blue whales and fin whales are reliably present before they depart for northern feeding grounds, sperm whales remain year-round, and bottlenose and common dolphins are visible on nearly every trip; the Azores Whale Watch operators in Lajes do Pico and Madalena use traditional land-based whale spotting techniques inherited from the whaling era