West Coasters Can Now Fly Direct to This European Island for the First Time Ever

For the first time ever, travelers on the US West Coast can now fly directly to one of the most beautiful islands in Europe: Terceira Island, in the Azores. It’s a brand new route offered on TAP Air Portugal, flying from San Francisco to Terceira. It began on June 3, 2025 and will be a weekly service that opens a lesser-visited corner of Portugal to a vast new audience.

Photo: antonio gama/Shutterstock

Until now, nonstop flights from the US to the Azores (a volcanic archipelago in the mid-Atlantic) have been almost exclusively limited to East Coasters via cities like Boston and New York. The new TAP Air Portugal service finally changes that with the flight from San Francisco International Airport to Lajes Airport on Terceira Island, scheduled for every Tuesday through at least mid-September 2025 (extended from late August). It’s the only flight from any West Coast city directly to the Azores, a region known for its dramatic landscapes, lava caves, and natural ocean pools. From Terceira, the flight continues to Lisbon, making it easy to book a trip that combines both the Azores and mainland Portugal.

For West Coast residents, the new TAP service means you can say goodbye to multi-stop itineraries and lengthy layovers that make it harder to plan a shorter trip to Europe. The SFO to Azores flight takes about 11 hours, and while that’s not a quick trip, it’s certainly quicker than flying 11 hours to somewhere like Frankfurt or Paris, then waiting even longer for a layover and connecting flight. It could also signal growing demand for less-busy destinations, as it’s one of a few flights in recent years that connects US travelers directly to smaller European destinations, including a United flight to Madeira.

Vila Franca do Campo, Sao Miguel. Photo: Alex Tihonovs/Shutterstock

Terceira and São Miguel are the Azores’ two most accessible islands, but offer slightly different visitor experiences. Terceira, where the new SFO flight goes, is rich in history. Its capital of Angra do Heroísmo is a UNESCO World Heritage site with lots of walkable streets and plazas, plus a robust cultural calendar with traditional festivals like the unique “tourada à corda,” similar to Pamploma’s Running of the Bulls. The island’s compact size makes it easy to explore in a few days, too.

Compared to São Miguel, the Azores’ most developed island, prices are slightly cheaper. However, São Miguel has more in the way of tourist infrastructure, so you’ll have more options for hotels and lodging. It’s known for its volcanic scenery and outdoor activities ranging from seeing the twin volcanic lakes of Sete Cidades to soaking in geothermal springs at Furnas. It’s also where you’ll find Europe’s oldest tea plantation (Gorreana), plus most of the Azores’ whale-watching and guiding companies. Since it’s more popular, it tends to be a little pricier, and certainly more crowded, especially in the summer.