Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Azores

Before you go

What happens when you get there

Getting there

Azores Airlines doesn't carry animals to or from the UK in the cabin or the hold, and TAP carries only assistance animals on UK flights. The workable route is to reach mainland Portugal first, by car and ferry or through another EU hub on a pet-carrying airline, then fly Lisbon or Porto to Ponta Delgada, Terceira or Horta. Routes from Ireland are unverified, so check with the airline before you book anything else.

Flights from Lisbon and Porto

TAP takes dog and carrier together up to 8 kg in a carrier up to 45 x 30 x 23 cm, one per passenger, from EUR 40 online on domestic flights. The hold is EUR 78 and booked through the contact centre, at least 24 hours ahead. Azores Airlines and SATA Air Açores also cap the cabin at 8 kg, in a soft carrier up to 40 x 35 x 21 cm, and heavier dogs go in the climate-controlled hold.

Inter-island travel

On domestic and inter-island flights you need a microchip and a vet health certificate issued within 5 days of departure. Atlânticoline ferries take dogs in a carrier you provide, with a pet fare. There's no animal transport between Corvo and Flores. The Faial, Pico and São Jorge triangle is the easy one. The published terms don't cover a large dog that won't fit a carrier, so ask before you book.

Beaches

One hotel's own rules report that dogs aren't allowed on beaches during the bathing season. We couldn't read the regional rule itself, so check locally. It most likely covers the supervised bathing areas in their summer season, roughly June to September, rather than every beach on the islands. Outside those spots and outside the season, the black-sand beaches are where people walk their dogs.

Hot springs and gardens

Terra Nostra Park in Furnas admits service dogs only, including for hotel guests. Poça da Dona Beija and Caldeira Velha publish no dog rule. Plan on your dog not joining you in any thermal pool, and ask at the gate.

Weight limits

Nothing on our list takes a dog over 25 kg. Octant and Delta Hotels by Marriott go to 25 kg, the Pestana properties and the DoubleTree to 15 kg, and Senhora da Rosa to 10 kg. Most of the hotels take one dog per room.

Whale watching and restaurants

None of the whale-watching operators publishes a policy on dogs, so assume no and ask the operator directly. Outside the hotels, terraces are your realistic option for eating with a dog. The Pestana hotels keep dogs out of their own restaurants and bars.

Vets

The Octant hotels give guests a list of nearby vets, parks and pet shops on arrival. Anywhere else, ask your hotel for its nearest vet when you check in rather than when you need one.

Best walks

The official Azores trails network asks walkers to keep pets under control and clean up after them, which means dogs are expected on the marked crater-lake and coastal trails on every island. On São Miguel, the lakeside path around Lagoa das Furnas is a short drive from Octant Furnas, and Mata-Jardim José do Canto sits on the lake's south shore. In Ponta Delgada, the promenade along Avenida Infante Dom Henrique runs past the Portas do Mar marina to Forte de São Brás. Out of season, Praia do Pópulo near Lagoa, Praia de Água d'Alto below Pestana Bahia Praia and Praia de Santa Bárbara on the north coast are the beach walks. On Terceira, the Monte Brasil headland trails start about 1 km from the Pousada de Angra. On Pico, Aldeia da Fonte's own Trilho do Mar runs along the cliffs through its grounds.

When to go

The Azores are mild all year and rarely hot, so heat isn't the problem it is on the mainland. Rain and wind are, and Atlânticoline cancels ferries in rough weather, so leave slack between islands if you're hopping. The bathing season, roughly June to September, is when the beach rule is reported to apply to the supervised swimming areas, so spring and autumn give your dog more sand and the same trails. Whatever the month, sort out flights first, because that's what decides whether the trip works.