There are several secular and religious festivals that make-up the calender of events on Faial. The most important ones occur in the summer. From Ascension Day until August, the feasts of the Holy Spirit are major events in each parish and neighborhood. During these events, a procession and cortege will travel to the local church where a mass (and crowning) will occur in conformity with the tradition/legend of Saint Elizabeth of Portugal. Following the mass, the procession will return to the local império where a feast of meat broth and soup is served to the invited guests, and the same soup and massa sovada (sweet bread) is handed-out, as a traditional sign of penitence. On Faial, generally, these feasts are by invitation, whereas on other islands public events occur.

The patron saint of Faial is Saint John, celebrated as São João da Caldeira on June 24th. This is a day celebrated with a mass at the Chapel of São João, and followed by family picnics along the roadways and fields of the Caldera. Similarly, in Largo Jaime Melo in Horta, people will gather from around the island to enjoy picnics, and other diversions (such as band music and/or singers).

On August 1st, the faithful celebrate the annual feast of Nossa Senhora da Guia, a celebration originally started by local fisherman in the name of the Virgin Mary. A flotilla of small boats with one carrying the statue of the Virgin arrives in the harbor at Port Pim. From there, following benedictions, the statue is taken in procession to the top of Monte da Guia, where a mass is celebrated on the chapel of Monte da Guia.

The most important festival of the Faialense calender is the secular Semana do Mar, literally Week of the Sea or loosely Sea Week. It is a week-long celebration in Horta of Faial's link to the sea, celebrated in song, dance, exhibitions and kiosks selling different foods (of local and continental Portugal) and goods. During the day there are several sailing competitions and exhibits, while in the evening while many will sample foods along the Avenida Marginal, others will listen and/or dance to popular and/or traditional musical acts on one of several platforms devoted to band, traditional and modern/contemporary musical artists. The events culminate with a traditional closing ceremony and fireworks display.

The island, like some other Azorean islands, produces cheeses and other milk products, along with cow meat, and by-products notable in Portugal, and it has a rich cuisine that also includes local seafood.

Scrimshaw, handiwork made of whale teeth, is a traditional craft of the Azores. However, because of the prohibition on whaling in Portugal, some designs of this can easily cost hundreds of Euros, due to the rarity of whale teeth.

Faial is a tourist's island with a rich collection of historical, natural and modern attractions that annually attract yachts, cruise ships, tourist groups and the naturalists to the hills and streets of the island. Apart from several hotels and bed & breakfasts scattered throughout the parishes, the visitor seeking sun will likely travel to the black sand beaches of Praia de Almoxarife, Conceição and Porto Pim, as well as the rock pools scattered along the coast. Varadouro is one such place, known for its warmer waters, micro-climate, summer cottages and complicated salt-water pools open to the ocean.

The island is primarily known in the islands for its white sand beaches, distinct chimneys, and dry warm weather that makes them unique in the portuguese islands.

São Miguel is 64 km from east to west, and between 8 and 14 km wide. Nicknamed the "Green Island" (Ilha Verde), São Miguel is largely covered with fields and meadows in the lowlands. The ancient laurisilva forest has mostly been replaced by cultivated fields and imported trees and plants. There are some hot springs (caldeiras), generally located in the center of the island, in the area stretching from Povoação to Nordeste. São Miguel has four stratovolcanoes and caldeiras, Sete Cidades, Agua de Pau, Caldeiras and finally Furnas.

Terceira’s coast is dotted with quaint fishing towns, beaches and lava rocks. To the north are both a rocky coast and a mix of forest and vineyards. To the South are cattle grazing lands and the coastal area surrounding Angra, with its parks and hotels. The wide bay and beach at the pretty town of Praia da Vitória are well worth a visit, as is the lake at Caldeira de Guilherme Moniz, which is the largest body of water in the Azores other than the ocean.

Terceira is also the site of more than 230 traditional bullfights throughout the summer. Every weekend from April to late fall the people of Terceira hold touradas à corda – a form of “running of the bulls.” The bull is let loose from the town’s main square with a very long rope around its neck. The idea is that courageous people will try to get as close to a bull as they dare. After the excitement, the bull is taken back to the wooden crate and an outdoor festival begins. This kind of event is found only in the Azores and has been popular here since 16th Century.

Sometimes in the larger towns, a Portuguese equestrian bullfight will take place after the touradas á corda. In a Portuguese bullfight a cavaleiro, or rider, takes to the arena atop a Lusitano breed of horse. The cavaleiro dresses in a silk jacket embroidered with gold and lace and wears tan riding pants and black boots. The goal of the cavaleiro and his horse is not to kill the bull, but to draw the bull to a charge and then to place a single dart in the bull’s back muscle.