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Azores, Portugal

The Azores use their own Portuguese time zone, one hour behind mainland Portugal. The islands observe Azores Standard Time in standard time and Azores Summer Time during daylight saving time.

Ponta Delgada, Portugal

08:16:13

Friday, 4 September 2026

UTC+0 · Atlantic/Azores

Time and sun data for Ponta Delgada — the largest city of Azores

The sun in Ponta Delgada

Sunrise 07:16 Solar noon 13:43 Sunset 20:10 Daylight 12 h 54 min Night 11 h 06 min Civil twilight 06:50 – 20:37

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Current time in Azores, Portugal

The archipelago uses the Atlantic/Azores time-zone identifier. Standard time is AZOT, with an offset of UTC−1. During daylight saving time, the islands observe AZOST at UTC+0. The local clock remains one hour behind Lisbon under the corresponding seasonal rules.

One official time applies across all nine islands, despite their spread across the North Atlantic. Flores and Corvo in the western group keep the same clock as São Miguel and Santa Maria in the eastern group. The geographical separation affects solar time, not the civil time shown on clocks.

Standard time: AZOT, UTC−1 Daylight-saving time: AZOST, UTC+0 Database zone: Atlantic/Azores Difference from mainland Portugal: one hour behind A traveller flying from Lisbon to Ponta Delgada should set the clock back one hour on arrival. Flight itineraries normally present departure and arrival in each airport’s local time, making it important to read both ends separately.

The islands share a clock, though the Sun takes its Atlantic itinerary rather less literally.

Main towns across the island groups

Ponta Delgada on São Miguel is the archipelago’s largest urban centre. Angra do Heroísmo and Praia da Vitória are important communities on Terceira, while Horta on Faial is a notable harbour town. Ribeira Grande is another substantial centre on São Miguel.

Other municipal seats include Vila do Porto on Santa Maria, Madalena on Pico, Velas on São Jorge, Santa Cruz da Graciosa, Santa Cruz das Flores, and Vila do Corvo. All use exactly the same legal time.

Choose Atlantic/Azores rather than Europe/Lisbon on a device. Allow for the one-hour difference when calling mainland Portugal. Name the island when requesting sunrise or weather information. Read inter-island schedules in Azores local time.

The absence of an internal clock difference makes island-hopping straightforward. However, sunrise and sunset can occur noticeably differently by the clock between the western and eastern groups because of their longitude.

Sunrise across the archipelago

A single “Azores sunrise” cannot describe every island accurately. São Miguel and Santa Maria lie well east of Flores and Corvo, so the Sun reaches their horizons earlier in absolute terms. Since all islands use one clock, eastern and western sunrise readings differ accordingly.

Season, latitude, elevation, and the observer’s horizon also matter. Volcanic slopes may conceal the Sun after the calculated horizon time, while a clear ocean-facing viewpoint may provide a more open view. Dense cloud can make the first visible sunlight later or prevent it from appearing distinctly.

Civil twilight begins before sunrise and is often the more practical measure for an early drive, harbour departure, or walk. Photographers should check the Sun’s direction as well as its rising time, especially in terrain shaped by crater rims and steep coastal relief.

Seasonal clock changes affect the displayed hour, not the underlying motion of the Sun. Always pair a sunrise value with its date, island, and locality.

Questions and answers

Are the Azores in the same time zone as Lisbon?: No. The Azores are one hour behind mainland Portugal.
Do Flores and São Miguel have different official times?: No. They share one civil clock, although sunrise occurs at different clock times because the islands are far apart.
What zone should I select on my phone?: Select Atlantic/Azores. That setting applies the archipelago’s standard and daylight-saving offsets.