This is exactly how glamping should be - only better. Hidden in a dense plantation of palms, ferns and incenso trees, on the lower flanks of Faial’s volcano and a short hop above its rugged Atlantic coastline, are half a dozen cosy tented cabins and a pair of yurts. They're brilliantly designed and comfy too: kingsize mattresses, kitchenettes with Moka machine and toaster, hot drench showers, cosy pellet-burning stoves.Plus, a shared sitting room with honesty bar and a roof terrace looking across the ocean to Pico’s spectacular, cloud-wreathed peak.
Each morning, we woke to symphonic birdsong and a beautiful breakfast basket sitting on our doorstep. We felt immersed in nature. Days were spent exploring Faial’s volcanic craters, hiking its levada trails, cycling down to the ocean for a dip in the rock pools, or mooching along the colourful lanes of Horta, the island’s handsome and historic harbour town. After four days we felt completely re-energised, a world away from office screens and traffic delays. This is proper travel: a genuinely pioneering eco-oasis in the Azores, a haven for outdoorsy families and star-gazing couples alike.
Highs
- Faial itself: a magical green speck of an island with 10 volcanoes, 1 traffic light and a true end-of-the-world feeling
- Owners Pedro and Antonia: hospitable, hard-working, generous to a fault, two true visionaries
- Irresistibly romantic: imagine a snuggly bed with roll-up canvas ‘windows’ to let moonshine and birdsong in
- The large cabins are great for adventurous families, with a double and 2 single beds
- Excellent eco-credentials: green energy (heat pumps with solar thermic panels) and natural building materials (wood and fabric)
Lows
- This is a back to nature retreat, so expect some bugs (moths, crickets), mooing cows nearby, clucking crows at dawn
- In strong winds or rains, the cabins can feel buffeted; but they remain dry and toasty inside
- It’s 5 mins’ drive to the coast, 10-15 mins to restaurants (in Horta); so you’ll need a car
- There's no pool on-site (but there are swimmable ocean pools a mile down the hill)
Best time to go
We think Faial is best in April-June or September-October. The former is better for whale-watching, as you may spot migrating blue or fin whales in addition to resident sperm whales, but Pedro points out that baby owls can hoot somewhat intrusively around the glampsite. July-August are also good - the island is much quieter than Sao Miguel - but you should still book everything well ahead (including car hire and boat excursions) as stock is limited. We stayed in late November, just before Azul Singular closed for its winter break, and we felt like the only visitors on Faial. We had sporadic bursts of rain most days, but when the sun shone it was warm enough for ocean swims and short-sleeved hikes.
Our top tips
Faial is a small island - you can drive around it in a couple of hours - with over 10 volcanoes and a dramatic coastline, making it perfect for hiking, cycling and marine adventures. But it's a bit of a schlepp to reach, so stay as long as you can. It won't break the bank.
For info and insights on Faial, Pedro and Antonia are the oracles. They have a charming backstory, too. Pedro, a contemporary dancer, met Antonia, a music teacher, on the stage of a Carmina Burana performance in Porto. He said to her: Come back with me to my remote island. She leapt at the chance - and the consequence was the first glampsite in the Azores.
For info and insights on Faial, Pedro and Antonia are the oracles. They have a charming backstory, too. Pedro, a contemporary dancer, met Antonia, a music teacher, on the stage of a Carmina Burana performance in Porto. He said to her: Come back with me to my remote island. She leapt at the chance - and the consequence was the first glampsite in the Azores.
- Boutique Glamping
- 8 cabins & yurts
- Breakfast + honesty bar
- All ages welcome
- Closed: December-January
- Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach Nearby
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Car recommended
- Parking
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
- Bicycles Available
Rooms
There are 2 spacious yurts and 6 tented cabins, well spaced and screened among palms, ferns and pittosporum (‘incenso’) trees. At night, once you’ve turned off your low-level pathway lighting, it’s completely dark - a rare luxury these days.
The cabins - Pedro calls them tents - are good-sized open-plan spaces, built chiefly of wood with canvas ‘windows’ which you can roll up for that indoor-outdoor feeling. There’s a mix of smaller ones for couples (truly romantic cocoons, we thought) and larger ones for families of three or four (thanks to a built-in single couch which turns into a comfy bed, plus space for a rollaway child’s bed if needed).
All have a kingsize bed with stacks of pillows, a hot shower (with lovely citrussy lotions) and toilet, good WiFi, a wood- or pellet-burning stove, a kitchenette, plus indoor and outdoor dining spaces (with hammocks, too).
As for the yurts, they are super-spacious and bright, with a central ‘eye’ for star-gazing (an overhead window, which can be blocked for the light-sensitive), colourful kilims on wooden floors, and cream canvas walls against a timber frame. There’s a kingsize bed with mosquito net, bedside lamps and tables, a wood-burning stove, table and chairs, and space for a baby cot or child bed (on request). Outside, on the same wooden platform, are a shower cubicle, a separate toilet, and an outdoor covered kitchenette. It’s like having your own mini-kraal in the Portuguese jungle, if that isn’t too much geodiversity for one metaphor.
Features include:
- Hairdryer
- Mosquito net
- Safe box
- WiFi
Eating
All the cabins and yurts have their own kitchenettes, with two-ring hob, kettle, Moka coffee machine, toaster, sink, plates and bowls, pans, cutlery and a few implements. You could rustle up a snack lunch or a simple pasta-type supper, for sure; or just use it, as we did, to prep hot flasks of tea for your day’s hikes and bike rides.
You won’t need it for making breakfast, because - we loved this touch - a basket is delivered each morning with all the items you chose the previous day: perhaps rolls with local cheeses, mini-pots of honey and jam, yoghurts, fresh fruit and orange juice, cereal and milk portions. Laid out under the fanning palm leaves, it feels like the perfect start to a day spent among nature. And it saves on waste, too.
In terms of eating out, it's 10-15 mins' drive to Horta or neighbouring Porto Pim, where recommended options include Atletico for fresh fish (and lots more), Cantina da Praça for upscale cuisine, Medalhas for simpler local fare, or Peter's Café Sport for hearty grub in a yachties' watering hole.
Features include:
- Breakfast
- Fridge
- Hob or stove
- Kitchenette
Activities
- The Caldeira summit circuit: drive up to the crater, then hike around the rim in about 3 hours, gazing over primeval swamps and shrubs as clouds swirl around you (check the webcam before setting off)
- Capelinhos volcano, formed during a 1957 eruption, has sharp lunar ridges that soar above foaming coastline, with an eerie sand-strewn lighthouse and a subterranean visitor centre resembling a Bond villain's lair
- The Rainha rock pools (piscinas do Lajinha), just 1.5 km below Azul, where you can swim among gnarly black volcanic boulders fed by ocean overspill
- The levada trail: from below the summit zone (on the westerly ascent road), follow the marked trail alongside a water conduit, past a reservoir - a green, moss-draped world perfect for a warm day
- Almoxarife beach: the island's biggest bay is ideal for swimming, letting kids loose on the dark sand, and refuelling with a fish lunch afterwards
- Whale- and dolphin-watching trips: best from April-November, these leave from Horta most days, unless it's very rough
- Wander through historic Horta, a once-crucial shipping post, whose churches and townhouses have a charming faded grandeur
- We also enjoyed visiting the former American consul's house in Porto Pim, and the old whaling station next door
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Birdwatching
- Boat trips
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Horse riding
- Mountain biking
- Plantlife / flora
- Private guided tours
- Surfing
- Swimming
- Whale watching
Kids
Azul Singular is a magical place for nature-loving families. The large cabins sleep 3-4 in comfort, with a double bed, a single couch bed, and (by prior arrangement) a rollaway child bed. The in-room kitchens make it easy to cater for kids' needs, and you can pre-book a cot if needed (though you'll need to keep an eye on toddlers). Above all, the brilliant back-to-nature vibe (foliage tickling your tent, breakfast under the palm trees, birds trilling around you as you swing in a hammock) is something they - and we - should not forget for a long time.
Best for:
Children (4-12 years)
Family friendly accommodation:
Cots Available, Extra Beds Available
Baby equipment:
Remember baby and child equipment may be limited or need pre-booking
For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection
Location
Azul Singular is on the small island of Faial in the Azores. It's set in a palm plantation, 1.5km above the coast, 5km from the main town of Horta and 5km from the airport of the same name.
By Air:
There are no direct flights to Faial (Horta airport) from outside Portugal, so you'll need to fly either from another Azores island (most likely Ponta Delgada on São Miguel Island, which has several daily connections), or if you time it right from Lisbon (fewer direct connections).
From the airport:
We advise hiring a car, even though distances are short, because there are not many taxis on the island, and most of the lanes are too steep for comfortable cycling.
Detailed directions will be provided when you book through i-escape.
Airports:
- Horta (Faial) 5.0 km HOR
Other:
- Beach 1.8 km
- Shops 1.5 km
- Restaurant 3.0 km