Estonia isn’t so popular travel destination, compare to its neighbors like Sweden and Finland, but this small Baltic country has plenty to offer. This Northern Europe country borders the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland. The more than 1,500 islands, lakes, old forests, and rocky beaches offer to its visitors a unique chance to experience a dynamic little country. Formerly part of the Soviet Union, it’s dotted with castles, churches and hilltop fortresses. Estonia has been rated by Lonely Planet as The best value destination in the world in 2016.
What Not to Do in Estonia
If you are planning to travel to this Baltic country, the following guide will help you to have a more pleasant experience. Here I’ll share a few things you need to know not to do if you travel to Estonia.
1. Avoid Speaking About USSR
It’s preferred not to speak about their history with the Soviet Union or USSR because of their bad memories about the time being part of it. Estonians are not very comfortable with being referred to as Eastern-Europeans.
2. Keep Your Voice Down
Do not raise your voice in a conversation. It is not nice.
3. You Can Get Harassed
Don’t be surprised if you get harassed. People traveling to Estonia have been warning that they may be a target of harassment. People who look or appear to be from a foreign country have been known to be targeted to be harassed for racial reasons.
4. Don’t Keep Your Shoes On
When you are entering a home in Estonian, don’t forget to take off your shoes when you step inside.
5. Don’t Expect a Salesman to Approach You in The Stores
One of the major social rights in Estonia is your freedom to choose and decide on your own. And because of that when you go in the stores, most of the time you have to ask what you are looking for and not to expect that the salesman will start a conversation with you or try to sell you something as in some other countries.
6. Don’t Ask Them if They Speak Russian
The absolutely worst thing is to ask Estonians that is Russian your language or speak Russian to them. Estonians are proud of their own language – Estonian.
However, most Estonians prefer to speak English.
7. Bicycling Is Not so Popular
Bicycles are not so used in Tallinn. There aren’t many roads for bicycles except in Pirita, you have to be careful if you are biking!
8. Don’t Forget to Wear Reflectors
If you decide to rent a bike and go for a ride after dark, don’t forget to wear small reflectors, especially during winter. The fine can range from $50 to $500 USD.
9. Don’t Drink Alcohol Outside
It is not allowed to drink alcohol outside, only at the bar area or at home. The age limit for alcohol and smoking is 18 years old. Usually, the rule, when shops can sell alcohol is from 9.00 to 22.00.
10. Don’t Expect Help When Traveling With Kids
If you are traveling on the streets and in public transport with children in pushchairs. The streets of old cities are cobbled making it difficult to push strollers or the public transportation stroller, buses have high stairs and this may make it difficult for you and don’t expect that people will help you.
The Azores are islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean – 800 miles west of Portugal, and about 2000 miles east coast of North America. The Azores are lush, green are volcanic islands situated in an isolated spot of the Atlantic Ocean, where temperatures are mild and change little from season to season. The Azores are known for its excellent tourism quality, especially sustainable tourism.
The archipelago of the Azores is located in the middle of the northern hemisphere of the Atlantic Ocean at the same latitude as the Mediterranean Sea. It is composed of nine volcanic islands in the North Atlantic Ocean about 1,360 km (850 mi) west of continental Portugal.
Is the Azores a Portuguese territory?
The Azores or the Autonomous Region of the Azores is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal along with Madeira. In 1976, the Azores became the Autonomous Region of the Azores.
The Portuguese discovered the nine islands of the Azores archipelago in the fifteenth century and because of their strategic location, the islands became a stopping point between Europe, America.
The Azores has a mild, temperate, humid, maritime climate with a rainy season from November to March. Temperatures range from 14-25° C (55-76° F). The climate of the Azores Islands is subtropical oceanic, pleasantly warm in summer. The water temperature is around 22 °C (72 °F) from July to September.
Best time to visit the Azores
The best time to visit the Azores is summer, from July to August, since it is the warmest and sunniest time of the year. Because of their oceanic climate, the Azores experience a delay in the sea getting warm, which affects the air temperature as well.
September is slightly warmer than June, but the rains become a bit more frequent.
How to get to the Azores?
The best way to reach the Azores is by plane. SATA airlines serve the nine Azores Islands. International flights arrive at the major settlement of Ponta Delgada on the Azores’ largest island, São Miguel or San Miguel. When it is high season, SATA has many flights to the Azores from Boston, Oakland, Porto, Faro, London, Frankfurt, Lisbon, Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam, and the Canary Islands.
In the last few years the flights from the US to Ponta Delgada on the island of Sao Miguel have become more frequent, but it is always good to check SATA’s websites for the latest information, as these departures change frequently.
Renting a car in the Azores is beneficial since there are too many places where you can’t get to with walking or public transport. As an alternative option, you can always join a tour, but that can get often more expensive and it’s more fun to explore on your own.
Unfortunately, renting a car in the Azores isn’t cheap. Booking in advance often can give you a better price. You can book directly to local agency’s websites like Let’s Rent-a-Car, Autatlantis or Ilha, or your other option which gives you a wider view of all the prices offering from big and small agencies is by using websites such as Holidaycars, Rentalcars or Sunnycars. This way you can find the cheapest options for your holiday to the Azores.
Local rental companies offer airport pickup, they have multiple ways of payment, and if you’re traveling to more than one island you can have a car waiting for you at every step of the way.
There is a USA airbase on Terceira
In 1953, the U.S. Forces Azores Command was organized as subordinate Unified Command under the Command-in-Chief Atlantic. In peacetime, the U.S. Forces Commander is assisted by a small joint staff responsible for contingency planning. The command mission would be to support NATO forces in the area, to assist in the local defense.
Is there good wifi in the Azores?
Huawei Marine Networks, a submarine cable network provider, has partnered with Viatel, a Portuguese telecommunications engineering network supplier to enable all nine islands of the archipelago of the Azores to be interconnected, with backbone connectivity to European, African and cross-Atlantic submarine cables.
Most villages have ADSL connections and there are hotspots in Ponta Delgada and at the Airports. GSM internet service is also available or you can use Mobile WiFi router gadgets from websites like My-WebSpot.com, Meo.pt.
The Azores archipelago is famous not only for its natural beauty and landscapes but also for the natural properties and health benefits its thermal waters provide. You’ll find spas with thermal water pools and natural thermal baths located in the Islands. The areas have a highly unusual combination of saltwater and sulfurous spring water which by claims from locals can help with inflammatory concerns like arthritis.
Ferns are everywhere
The Azores were isolated from the other continents Europe and North America for thousands of years and the flora and fauna evolved differently. The landscape is covered with fat aloe and cacti, giant ferns, black sand beaches and mineral baths with their warm water.
Tree ferns are present throughout the archipelago of the Azores but are particularly numerous in São Miguel. Fauna and flora of the Azores. Asplenium azoricum is a fern of the hybrid origin and it lives exclusively in the Azores, and it is a strict endemic Azorean fern.
Bird watching
The Azores are internationally recognized as bird-watching destinations for observing certain groups of bird species. Resident and migratory bird populations of the Azores archipelago are the islands’ most noteworthy fauna. Some 36 bird species are reported to breed in the Azores. Here we can find also the most important nesting populations of Cory’s Shearwaters in the world.
Pyrrhula murina is listed as endangered, with a population estimated at less than 250 birds restricted to islands. Breeding seabirds of the Azores comprise 5 species of Procellariiformes, 4 Charadriiformes, and 1 Pelecaniform, and include Fea’s petrel.
The number of species seen in the islands is close to 400. You can join small groups from the local company Gerbybirding, specialized in birdwatching.
Drinks and food
Food is usually imported from the nearest countries, which causes high prices in restaurants, cafes, and supermarkets, and makes fresh food hard to find. The most famous dish of the Azores that you should definitely try is ‘furnas de caldas’, a stew that’s cooked inside a volcano or a fish baked on hot stones, fresh and unusual salads or fantastic pizza.
Even the most basic supplies are imported and are priced accordingly. But the overall Azores are a great deal. You can try a local brand of ice cream, with unique flavors like coconut and sweet pineapple. To get the best culinary experience, you can book a nine-day food and wine tour across four of Azores’ islands and you’ll have the chance to taste famed Azorean dishes.
Photo Credit: madeinazores.eu
Azores wine is good and cheap
Azorean wines have a great singularity, exclusivity, and History. The vine culture dates back to the 15th century. The vineyards are planted in particular locations called “Currais” where they are surrounded by volcanic rock walls that release heat to the vines overnight and have a quite effective protection effect against bad weather.
The historic vineyards on the island of Pico have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The wines are made from Verdelho, Arinto, and Terrantez. Most wines are white, fresh and tangy, but there is some good, light red, including some Merlot.
Where to stay in the Azores
There are nine main islands in the Azores and each one of them offers different experiences and things to do. If you only have limited time to visit one island, São Miguel is the largest and it has the most and cheapest direct flights.
For accommodation, there are many options to choose from for your stay at the Azores. You can rent a Holiday home on the Azores at HomeAway or choose a farmhouse or manor house. You can browse through Booking.com to find the best hotel or check out Airbnb and find what fits your budget and style.
They have more than 100 houses, cottages, and apartments for rental or official camping sites on all islands. Or you can check the best-priced Hotels in the Azores at:
In the Azores you will find the only tea plantations in Europe, which produce excellent teas, processing the leaves on vintage 19th-century English machinery.
The plants have to grow 7 years before you can start harvesting. The tea is harvested every 2 or 3 weeks from April until October.
Ribeira Grande, in São Miguel Island, is home to the two tea factories and a plantation–the only such plantation in Europe, courtesy of the island’s balmy climate.
More Nature, Less Beach
Nature is the biggest attraction to the Azores. The largest island, São Miguel has the most versatile scenery: from mountains, lakes, to sandy beaches and precipitous cliffs.
Each Azorean island has its own identity, its own unique landscape, traditions, cuisine, and architecture. Walking around stunning landscape marked by dense coastal woods, play golf of one of the best courses in the world.
Although is not a beach destination, there are very good beaches in the Azores. You can find some in S.Miguel – Praia Populo, Praia Agua d’Alto, Praia Ribeira Quente and Praia Porto Formoso are the most known, and Santa Maria Island. There are 2 great beaches Praia Formosa and Praia São Lourenço.
Azores is full of hiking trails
There are plenty of things you can see and do when you visit the Azores and without a doubt a great place to hike in beautiful landscapes. There are dozens of trails of different difficulty, length and type so you can choose between. All islands have clearly marked official hiking trails. The official tourism website has a section dedicated to trails. You can use the search option and you’ll have a list of all the hiking trails in the Azores that match your preferences. Why not go on an adventure by hiking and climbing along these scenic trails.
Haarlem is a small city located just 27 minutes with a train outside of Amsterdam. Its abundance of historical sights, cultural attractions and hidden gems crammed into a relatively small city, a visit to Haarlem makes for a brilliant day trip from Amsterdam. There are many attractions to keep you busy – including river cruises, flower markets and more.
The square is located at the historic heart of Haarlem, underneath the imposing Grote Kerk, and is the image of the city that many people will recognize. Hosting regular festivals, concerts and markets, the Grote Markt is the hub of daily life in Haarlem.
The Grote Kerk or St.-Bavokerk is a Reformed Protestant church and former Catholic cathedral located on the central market square in the Dutch city of Haarlem. This Late Gothic cruciform basilica, now reaching 140 meters in length with its slender 40-meter tower, was started in the 14th century. The cathedral’s famous Müller Organ is considered one of the greatest such instruments in the world for its tone and decoration.
The beautiful giant towers high above Haarlem’s rooftops and the gothic interior is nothing but breathtaking.
The Frans Hals Museum is one of the leading art galleries in the Netherlands. The museum has the world’s largest collection of works by Hals, including five of his large civic guard pieces.
It was founded in 1862 in the newly renovated former Dominican church cloisters located in the back of the Haarlem city hall.
The museum is specialized in restoration and research on the works of Haarlem painters in the 17th century and of the painters of the 16th century who taught them to paint, most notably Jan van Scorel, Maerten van Heemskerck, Hendrick Goltzius and Cornelis van Haarlem.
The museum includes a collection of modern and contemporary art, including paintings, sculptures, textiles, ceramics, and graphic art by artists from Haarlem and the surrounding area.
The City Hall in Haarlem is the seat of the city’s government. The oldest parts of the City Hall date back to 1250. The north wing, and the Neoclassical façade were added in the 1600s. The interior is also of interest and includes numerous fine paintings, relics, and mementos.
Teylers Museum, the oldest museum in the Netherlands, was founded in 1778. The museum is in the former home of Pieter Teyler van der Hulst. He was a wealthy cloth merchant and Amsterdam banker of Scottish descent, who bequeathed his fortune for the advancement of religion, art and science. Nearby the museum is the Teylers Hofje, a hofje which was also founded in Teyler’s name.
Teyler’s Museum displays an eclectic collection of fossils, minerals, scientific instruments, medals, coins, and paintings. It is most famous for its extensive collection of old master’s prints and drawings, including several works by Michelangelo and Rembrandt.
In the 19th century, the museum was expanded with two painting galleries.
Bakenessergracht is home to some of the city’s oldest and most spectacular buildings. At the end of the Bakenessergracht is the River Binnen Spaarne, crossed here via an attractive old drawbridge, and from which you get a great view of the Amsterdamse Poort. Haarlem’s city gate, built in the early 1400s and a national monument has two octagonal towers and two round towers.
In the 1960s the gate was declared a national monument. In 1985 a complete renovation of the gate took place.
The Proveniershuis is a hofje and former schutterij on the Grote Houtstraat in Haarlem, Netherlands. The complex of buildings surrounds a rectangular garden taking up a city block that is on the Haarlem hofje route. The homes around this courtyard are much larger, and the garden itself is about twice the normal size.
This home for Haarlem proveniers was founded in 1707 by the city council to house elderly men. The main buildings are much older than that.
The Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Bavo is a relatively recent three-aisle cruciform basilica built between 1895 and 1906. Some 100 meters long, 42 meters wide, and 60 meters high
That church was itself a replacement for the Sint-Bavokerk, that had been converted to Protestantism from Catholicism in 1578.
Haarlem has been voted as the Netherlands’ best shopping destination. You can find a unique combination of big brands to independent labels, as well as charming antique and curiosity shops. The best-known streets in Haarlem are the Grote Houtstraat, the Barteljorisstraat, and the Zijlstraat. But you’ll find many interesting shops if you explore the smaller streets such as the Schagchelstraat, Kleine Houtstraat, Anegang, Warmoesstraat, Koningstraat and Gierstraat.
Want to find more sustainable destinations? Check our other posts.
