Still thinking of next Workation destination for your remote team to meet? We would like to easy your task. And the solution is – Azores. Just take a look at this:
1. Good internet connection
Lots and lots of cities could get jealous of fast high speed fiber internet. Most of the time we have to make a choice when picking up the perfect location for workation: attractive tropical location or good internet connection. The Azores can offer you both, we guarantee – your team will be able to concentrate exceptionally on their job. You will also find creative, innovative and community driven workspaces like unOffice.
2. Year-Round Perfect Weather
Perfect in this case gets another meaning. Azores Islands are perfect in their own way. One of the most popular questions when speaking about the Workation in the Azores is which time of the year would be the best to come for a team travel? Well, to be honest, the answer is any time. First, because in the Azores you never know.. here you can have three seasons in a day (locals call this 4, but, actually, you won‘t normally see snow on the islands (we are not talking about the Pico Mountain in the winter time, of course), so there is no winter here). It might rain in the morning, the sun might show up afterwards, then it gets windy and then hot sunny days comes again. You might find summer time in October on the islands and winter in September. Trust us, we know what we are talking about. Second, even with the rain and wind you will find plenty of interesting activities to do. In the last case, spending your time in the hot natural springs is always a perfect solution.
3. Unique easily accessible location
You will find the Azores Islands literally in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. At a first glance this do not sound like an easiest location on Earth to be reached. We are happy to inform you – that isn’t true. The Azores is just perfect for your remote team meeting. There are direct flights from the main American and European cities like Boston, Toronto, New York, London, Lisbon, Porto, Frankfurt, Oakland, Providence, Madrid, Las Palmas, Funchal, Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Billund, Montreal and Brussels. So the unique geographical position of the Azores Islands translates into ease of travel between American and European continents and into very comfortable time zone for the location independent professionals. It´s just 4 hour from America and 3 hour from Europe. Simply perfect for perfect as workation destination for the remote team.
4. Large number of activities for your free time
Even working all day long you are still able to do some incredible stuff before or after your working hours. Everything is close in the Azores so you would never lose much time travelling. So might start your Monday with a stroll on the coast with an ocean breeze to your face or in a park surrounded by verdant nature and a refreshing dip in the Atlantic Ocean. That sounds like an interesting start of a promising productive day. To end it? What about some fresh grilled fish and an excellent white wine from the Island of Pico or maybe relaxing dip in the hot springs of Furnas..? Just choose.
That was one of the working days we were talking about. Weekends, days off? Wow, up to you. Whether you are a lover of adventurous sports or prefer a peaceful time just for yourself – you won’t get bored on any of the islands in the whole archipelago of the Azores. Whale watching, swimming with dolphins, big game fishing, canyoning, bird watching, coasteering, caving, yachting, hiking, diving, mountain climbing, horseback riding, paragliding, surfing, playing golf and many more..
5. Developed infrastructure
The Azores embody the perfect balance between the breathtaking nature of a laid-back archipelago and the convenience, comfort, and safety of a developed country. Azores can offer your team any type of accommodation solutions depending on the needs of your company and the team. A place for the moments of reflection, modern, cosmopolitan and vibrant hotels, corporate hotels, Spa´s, villas, laidback venues. Your team will also find community driven work spaces as well as exclusively private offices located in the center of Ponta Delgada or a remote place on the islands. Anything your team may need – open workstations with high-speed Wi-Fi, private offices, meeting and training rooms, conference rooms, co-working spaces.
6. Astounding Nature
This magical volcanic paradise, the Azores islands are best known for their hot streams, black sand beaches, verdant fields, dazzling blue volcanic lakes, volcanic caverns, bubbling mud pots, sprawling sunrises and waterfalls cascading into ravines. It´s still wild and untouched. Everywhere you go you will find perfectly organized gardens, parks, even on a road side the grass looks perfect and trees and bushes so pedantically organized. And then the flowers.. hydrangeas everywhere in a wide range of colors. If you take a closer look at each of the Azores Islands, they all have their own color. This is, basically, because of the dominant color of the native tropical nature. Pico Island is famous for its black basalt rocks, Santa Maria for the yellow sanded beach (and so this is the only island of the Azores which origin is not the volcanic one), verdant nature of São Miguel makes this island the green one, blue hydrangeas turns the Island of Faial into the blue one, brown rocks of São Jorge and black lava color on the Island of Curvo turn them into special one, violet lilac is the symbol of the Terceira Island, Flores Island is filled with pink azaleas and Graciosa is the white island because of the white scenery. Every hour of your workation spent surrounded by this magical nature makes you feel recovered, inspired for you adventures.
7. Divine Food and Wine
Azorean cuisine is a rich and hearty. Prepare for quite heavy dishes of seafood and meat, spicy stews, very sweet desserts and lots of dairy products. Azorean cheese is perfect and all the islands of the Azores can offer you different kind of this miraculous foodstuff for any taste. Speaking about the wine, lovers of the white one will love the Pico Island as is famous for its black stone-walled vineyards and of which the Landscape of the Vineyard Culture is listed in UNESCO World Heritage. To get to know all these marvelous drinks you might enjoy on the Pico Island you should definitely visit Pico Island Wine Cooperative e (Cooperativa Vitivinícola da Ilha do Pico) and The Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture Interpretation Centre (Centro de Interpretação da Paisagem da Cultura da Vinha da Ilha do Pico).
Speaking about the seafood, if you have an opportunity taste limpets of the Island of São Jorge and the famous cheese of this island would be one of the best dairy products. Octopus stewed in red wine, fish stews, limpets with rice, limpets with butter, garlic and lemon – dishes that should not be missed. Lobster, crabs and the odd goose barnacles, hidden in the holes of the rocks, will satisfy the needs of the shellfish lovers. For the dessert lovers Graciosa Island and Vila Franca do Campo on the Island of São Miguel can offer some of the best cheese cakes (queijadas) of the Azores. Santa Maria Island have its popular “Ear Biscuits” (Biscoitos de Orelha). Terceira Island is famous not just for a Bullfight but for the “Alcatra” as well – a beef stew flavored with the simple spices, bacon, combined with onions and red wine. For the beef lovers Restaurant of the Agricultural Association of São Miguel could be a good option to taste the famous traditional Azorean steak. Heavy dish, go the for the lunch and get prepared! Cozido of Furnas, containing meat and vegetables boiled underground is one of the most famous dishes of the São Miguel Island. From time to time local people do it with the fish, potatoes and some vegetables. Having in mind it´s fish the cooking time is shorter and it tastes unbelievably good. When it comes to the bakery, Bolos Levados (the sweet bread) from Furnas are really worth the attention. Azores Islands are famous for their unique Tea Plantations and the cultivation of the Pineapples. All in all, gastronomy of the Azores is one of the best ways to get to know the whole culture of the Azores.
8. Abundance of Hot Springs
The natural “SPAs” are always present. The best part is that they are just a short drive away from any point on the São Miguel Island. Furnas, Caldeira Velha, Ribeira Grande, Mosteiros – just choose one and head there for a relaxing dip after a work day or even in the early morning for this positive energy load you will need later during the day or even or the whole workation week. You might look for a wild natural hot swimming pool right on the south coast of the São Miguel Island like Ferraria or the one in Furnas valley surrounded by entrancing greenery.
9. Nine Islands – Nine Experiences at once
All different, all the part of the Azores and offering unique experiences. Your team can easily get from one island to another during workation without spending too much time and experiencing the different realities the islands have to offer. Your team might climb the Pico Mountain, which is the highest point of the whole Portugal, concentrate working on your project in some of the most charming venues of São Miguel Island, admire the astonishing landscapes of Flores Island, go for canyoning activities with all your team on São Miguel Island, work in some remote venue on Faial or Terceira Islands, visit São Jorge Island for unique team experience while hiking in remote wild locations and so on and so forth..
10. Still Undiscovered
Protected from the tourist and commercial massification. All the Azorean goods as well as services are always guided by quality and perfection, always in harmony with nature and characterized by environmental practices and sustainability. Azores have no mass tourism and no matter when your team is coming for workation in the winter or summer. Well, winter time on the Islands is much serene in the touristic perspective. On the other hand your team can expect rainy and windy days from time to time, but even like this the Islands of the Azores are always perfect as your team might enjoy a creative afternoon together in some of the most charming venues surrounded by verdant nature of the Azores.
That would be all for now. In case you need some more reasons to come for the island workation, just talk to us!