BOSTON, MA – A fun Mardi Gras celebration is just four hours away on the Mid-Atlantic Islands of the Azores, where celebrations go back centuries. Azores Airlines is offering round-trip air starting at $553 per person (incl. tax).

In the Azores, Mardi Gras is known as “Carnaval” a celebration continuing through Tuesday, March 5-9, 2019. Parades and pageants are heart of the Carnaval festivities. There is lively music, colorful costumes, hand-made masks, and floats.

On the island of São Miguel, known for its mild weather, you can chose from several hotels in historic Ponta Delgada, the Azores’ main city. Carnaval has a sweet taste on São Miguel, with street vendors selling fried sweet dough, called a Malassadas. The festival on the Azores biggest island starts of with a black tie grand ball, and heats up with dance music at the restored Coliseu Micaelense. There is a children’s parade in the streets of the capital, Ponta Delgada, with children in costume from each school district on the island. Then, a massive carnaval parade fills the streets into the wee hours with music, costumes and dancing.

Azores Airlines, part of the SATA Group, has connected New England with the Azores and mainland Portugal for more than 35 years. For more information about booking flights visit https://www.azoresairlines.pt/usa or call 800-762-9995.