SATA AZORES AIRLINES

From France, SATA Azores Airlines only flies to Ponta Delgada (direct or via Lisbon or Porto): you'll then need to take another inter-island flight to Santa Maria. From Ponta Delgada, it's just a 30-minute flight to the island. The route operates one to four times a day depending on the season, but you can't make the round trip in the same day in winter. Finally, flights can be disrupted by the Azores' sometimes capricious weather conditions.