Ponta Delgada Airport, also known as João Paulo II Airport, named after Pope John Paul II, is located on the island of São Miguel.
São Miguel is referred to locally as The Green Island. It’s the largest and most populated island in the Azores archipelago. Ponta Delgada itself is an elegant town with cobbled streets that meander down to a lovely marina surrounded by excellent restaurants.
Book with Zest Car Rental at Ponta Delgada Airport!
Zest Car Rental provides a fresh and honest approach to hiring a car at Ponta Delgada Airport. At Zest, we know how important transparency is when booking car rental. Our four-step booking process is simple and hassle-free, with no hidden costs or extras. At Zest, we know when planning your trip, you shouldn’t have to sweat the details and focus on the small print. Instead, you can relax and look forward to your holiday, without getting lost in car rental complications!
We also know that sometimes, plans change. Therefore, we offer free cancellation and amendments up to 48 hours before your rental start as standard. Should you require it, we also offer enhanced cancellation protection for a small fee. This offers you free cancellation right up to the time your rental starts!
Zest Car Rental only works with carefully selected and trusted car rental providers at Ponta Delgada Airport who care as much about reputation as we do, and always put the customer first. All our providers are monitored closely, and we review customer feedback frequently to ensure you receive the best rental experience possible. Our amazing customer feedback has meant we are ranked ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot. Also, Zest Car Rental are Feefo Platinum Trusted! You can read our Feefo reviews here!
Stay protected with Zest! We offer breakdown assistance at Ponta Delgada Airport as standard. Should you wish to be fully covered, we can provide you with our industry leading top-up insurance. Our top-up insurance is the top level of cover available provided by us. You’ll receive reimbursement cover against any loss or damage to the vehicle not covered by the standard car hire insurance. To find out what is covered on our top-up insurance, check out our blog! You can rest assured we’ve made things as simple as possible so you can focus on enjoying your holiday and exploring hidden gems!
If you wish to share the driving on holiday, we have negotiated a free additional driver with many of our trusted car rental providers! If your chosen provider does include a free additional driver, this will be clearly labelled on the quote page. Generate a quick and easy quote today!
All rental providers we work with operate a fair fuel policy. This means you either collect the car full of fuel then return it full or return it with the same amount provided upon collection. Hassle-free and straightforward! Learn more about fair fuel policies here!
If you ever have any queries before, during or after your car rental, our friendly customer support team is here to help you. We can even provide you with a quote or make your booking over the telephone! Our U.K. based call centre is open 7 days a week. Wherever you are, Zest are! We operate a 24/7 Customer Support Telephone line for any urgent enquiries during out of office hours.
The great inclusions Zest offers with every rental has led to us being the one and only Which? Recommended Car Hire Broker, an accolade we have earnt every year since 2017! Which? Concluded that Zest Car Rental goes ‘beyond for their customers’ and awarded Zest with a five-star rating for the clarity of the final hire cost. Fresh, Honest and Transparent!
What is There to See?
The major tourist attraction on Sao Miguel is whale and dolphin watching. Several companies offer boat tours and at certain times of year you’ll likely see several species of migrating whales besides the resident sperm whales.
In addition to the enormous blue and white marlins that swim offshore, dolphin-fish and Atlantic bluefin tuna can also be found which makes big game fishing a popular pastime. Again, there are a number of local companies offering trips or you can hire a boat yourself and go solo.
If you fancy a break from the water, why not visit the 16th Century Forte de Sao Bras? Originally built to defend Ponta Delgada against pirate attacks, it remains in service as a base of the Portuguese Navy but is open to the public.
If you’ve ever wondered how cigarettes are made, there’s a tobacco factory which produces cigarettes using locally grown tobacco. They also have a cigar production line where they use tobacco leaves from Indonesia, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. Tours of the factory are available to the public and last about 40-60 minutes.
Day Trips on São Miguel
Lagoa, a nearby coastal town is a short drive from Ponta Delgada. Its sheltered coves and volcanic rock bays are popular with locals and tourists alike for their clear blue-green waters which have been awarded a Blue Flag.
The Sete Cidades crater to the western end of the island is perhaps the best known site in the Azores. Follow the roads around this extinct volcano before heading down into the crater itself. Home to two lakes, one blue, one green, the Sete Cidades are guaranteed to take your breath away.
Furnas a small town to the eastern end of the island is located near Lagoa das Furnas. Famed locally for its hot springs, beautiful countryside, and historic architecture, it’s a popular spot for tourists looking to experience it all.
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