Ferries from Faial to Pico and São Jorge: crossing times, seasonal lines and what happens in bad weather

Faial, Pico and São Jorge sit close enough together that many visitors treat them as one trip, and Horta is where most of those trips start. The decision you are making is whether to hop across for the day or move your base, and that depends on which island you want. Pico is a short, frequent crossing all year. São Jorge is a longer trip with far fewer sailings, and in winter it takes planning. All of it runs on one operator and all of it depends on the sea.

The passenger ferries between the islands are run by Atlânticoline, which has its head office in Horta. Its services are organised into coloured lines, and four of them call at Horta. In Horta the boats leave from the maritime terminal on Avenida 25 de Abril, on the seafront a short walk from the marina.

The Linha Azul carries most of the traffic. It runs only between Horta and Madalena, Pico's main port, all year round, and the crossing takes 25 to 30 minutes.

• In summer there are many sailings a day. The 2026 summer timetable, valid to the end of September, had the first boat leaving Horta at 07:30 and the last at 22:00.
• In winter the service is thinner. The 2025/26 winter timetable had four return crossings a day.
• The adult fare for a non-resident on this crossing was €8.20 one way in August 2026. Fares change, so check before you go.

This is the line that makes a day trip to Pico easy. Take a morning boat, hire a car or join a tour in Madalena, and come back on an evening crossing.

The Linha Verde links Faial, Pico and São Jorge, with calls at Pico's ports (Madalena and Cais do Pico) and at Velas on São Jorge. Because the boat can stop at Pico on the way, the crossing to Velas takes much longer than the hop to Madalena. Direct Ferries lists Horta to Velas at around two hours; the booking portal shows the exact time for each sailing.

• In summer 2026 the Green Line had at least two connections a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. On Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays the day's trips began in Velas rather than Horta.
• In the 2025/26 winter it ran two return connections on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and one on the other days.

With one boat out in the morning and one back in the afternoon, a day trip leaves you only a few hours on São Jorge. A night in Velas gives the island the time it needs.

Two more lines call at Horta between June and September and link the triangle to the rest of the central group.

• The White Line (Linha Branca) runs on Mondays and Fridays and connects Horta, Cais do Pico, Velas, Praia on Graciosa and Praia da Vitória on Terceira.
• The Lilac Line (Linha Lilás) runs on Tuesdays and Saturdays and connects Horta, Madalena and Calheta on São Jorge with Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira.

Both make several stops, so the journeys are long. They are useful if you want to continue to Terceira or Graciosa by boat rather than fly. Check the dates for the year you travel.

You can buy tickets on the Atlânticoline booking portal, which also shows every sailing with its check-in deadline and arrival time. There is a shop at the head office in Horta, open Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 12:30 and 13:30 to 17:00, and ticket offices in the ports.

• Passengers must be at boarding at least 10 minutes before departure. You need your ticket and an identity document.
• Cars close earlier. The boarding page gives 20 minutes before departure and the vehicle fare conditions say at least 30, so plan on 30.
• Each passenger can take two pieces of checked luggage and one piece of hand luggage without charge.
• For an adult ticket, you get a full refund if you cancel up to five days before the trip and 85 per cent after that; once the trip has sailed you get nothing back.

Book ahead in July and August, especially on the evening boats back from Pico and for anything with a car. The portal marks sailings that are running short of seats as "Few left".

The channel between Faial and Pico is short but open to the Atlantic, and the boats do not sail when the sea makes it unsafe. Atlânticoline posts every change on its releases page, with the reason. In September 2026 alone the list included a White Line sailing cancelled for weather, Green Line itineraries changed for weather, and changes marked "Sem Cais Acostável", meaning there was no quay the ship could berth at. Storms have cancelled sailings across the central and western groups, as in April 2026.

What that means for you:

• If Atlânticoline changes or cancels your trip, you are entitled to a full refund under its fare conditions.
• Under EU passenger rights for sea travel, a cancellation or a departure delayed by more than 90 minutes gives you the choice of re-routing or reimbursement. Weather frees the carrier from paying compensation or a hotel, but not from that choice.
• Avoid a ferry and a flight on the same day, whichever island you fly from. If the boat does not sail you can be stuck on the wrong island.
• In winter, build a spare day into any itinerary that depends on the Green Line to São Jorge.
• Check the releases page and the booking portal the evening before and again in the morning.

How long is the ferry from Horta to Pico?

Between 25 and 30 minutes to Madalena on the Blue Line, which runs all year. In summer there are sailings from early morning to 22:00; in winter there are fewer.

Can I get from Faial to São Jorge by ferry all year?

Yes, on the Green Line, which ran every day in the 2025/26 winter with one or two connections. Direct Ferries puts the crossing to Velas at around two hours, and the time varies with the stops each sailing makes.

Do I need to book the Pico ferry in advance?

In July and August, and whenever you take a car, book ahead on the Atlânticoline portal. At other times the portal shows which sailings are running short of seats.

What happens if my ferry is cancelled because of the weather?

You can choose re-routing on a later sailing or a refund of the ticket. Weather cancellations do not earn compensation, so keep a buffer day before any flight.