Azores Islands – Atlantic Paradise

After breakfast, you will be met by your local guide for a walking tour of Ponta Delgada, the capital of the Azores. During this tour you will visit São Francisco Square and the Church of Nossa Senhora da Esperança (Our Lady of Hope), home of the image of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres (our Lord of Miracles), responsible for one of the largest religious festivities in Portugal. Next you will see Conceição’s Palace exterior façade, the Parish Church of São Sebastião, Portas da Cidade (city gates), Sacred Art Centre of the Carlos Machado Museum, Mercado da Graça (local market) and the Church of São Pedro. In the afternoon, board your coach for a tour to the centre of São Miguel Island. This tour takes you through both the highlands and flatlands, where your first stop is the amazing crater lake Lagoa do Fogo. ‘Lagoa do Fogo’ (‘Lake of Fire’). We will stop at a miradouro (viewpoint) where you will have time to take in the astonishing views from the top of the crater’s border. Below the viewing area, we will follow a winding pathway to the bottom of Lagoa do Fogo. The trail down takes approx. 30 minutes and can be steep and uneven in some sections. We will then return to your hotel in Ponta Delgada and the evening is at your leisure.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Hotel: Marina Atlântico (Double/Twin) or similar

After breakfast, depart from Ponta Delgada and drive towards the most western part of the island, where the mountains and lagoon of the Sete Cidades are located. We’ll make a quick stop at Vista do Rei, one of the most important panoramic views of the island, where you can observe the famous lagoon inside a huge volcanic crater. Next, you will take a 3-hour hike starting near the Miradouro da Boca do Inferno parking lot.  The hike offers spectacular views throughout, taking you along the crater’s edge of Lagoa Azul as you circle counterclockwise and end up in the town of Sete Cidades. Not only will you pass lake views, but you will also see the countryside and views out over the Atlantic. On the return to Ponta Delgada, you’ll stop to visit a pineapple plantation to learn about the peculiar way this tropical fruit is grown in the Azores. Afterwards, you’ll return to your hotel and the rest of the day is at your leisure.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Hotel: Marina Atlântico (Double/Twin) or simila

This morning, you will board your coach for a tour of the island's eastern side to experience its volcanic origins. We start by visiting the Caldeiras da Lagoa das Furnas (Furnas Lake Calderas), a place where we cook the famous “Cozido das Furnas” (a special meal cooked only with the steam of the Earth) and continue with an easy walk that crosses a stream and circles the lakeside. During the walk, you can observe a variety of endemic flora species. Next, we visit the town of Furnas, with its fumaroles and mineral springs that contain water with different tastes. Here you can try the “Cozido das Furnas” meal at a local restaurant. After lunch, we visit the Terra Nostra botanical garden, famous for its extraordinary collection of native plants from the Azores, as well as others from all over the world that have adapted to the local garden conditions. At the end of the visit, you can bathe in an iron-rich hot water swimming pool between 35-40oC. On the way back to Ponta Delgada, we will stop at several beautiful viewpoints on the North Coast and at the only tea plantation in Europe, where we will visit the tea factory for a tasting.

• Meals: Breakfast / Lunch of Traditional Cozido
• Hotel: Marina Atlântico (Double/Twin) or similar

In the morning, your local driver/guide will collect you and transfer you to the airport for your short flight to Terceira Island. Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to Angra do Heroísmo. Here we will walk to the city centre of Angra do Heroísmo and start to explore the island of Terceira (the Lilac Island). We’ll see the Cathedral of Angra do Heroísmo, one of the most controversial catholic cathedrals, and Palacio dos Capitaes Generais, pivotal in the establishment of the first government of the Azores. We'll continue on to Pátio da Alfândega, the oldest wharf in Angra do Heroísmo. From here you’ll see Angra Bay, where Vasco da Gama disembarked in 1499, establishing the island as a mandatory stop for routes passing through the Atlantic. Next, we’ll visit Monte Brasil, the highest point on the island, to admire the beautiful views of the city and its outskirts. From there, we’ll stop in the town of São Sebastião to see the oldest church in the Azores.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Hotel: Terceira Mar Hotel (Classic Ocean View) or similar

Enjoy free time in the morning.   In the afternoon, we’ll hike to Mistérios Negros (Black Mysteries). The route winds through the native laurel forest of Terceira and you’ll encounter lakes and volcanic domes as we go. The area is named for the dark lava rock throughout the area and is not to be missed.  

• Meals: Breakfast
• Hotel: Terceira Mar Hotel (Classic Ocean View) or similar

In the morning, your local driver/guide will collect you and transfer you to the airport for a short flight to São Jorge Island. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to the hotel to drop off your luggage.   Afterwards, explore this beautiful island with its stunning scenery, known as the “Dragon Island.” 

• Meals: Breakfast
• Hotel: Hotel Sao Jorge Garden (Double\Twin) or similar

Today you will take a guided hike from Caldeira de Santo Cristo to Fajã dos Cubres. This route, about 10 km in length, begins in the Eolic Park of Serra do Topo, passing by Caldeira de Santo Cristo and finishing at Fajã dos Cubres. You will visit the Caldeira de Santo Cristo Lake, classified as a protected landscape and place of cultural and scenic interest. Known mainly for the prevalence of clams (Ruditapes decussatus) in the lake, the lake is also an important place for many resident bird species as well as some migrant species. Next, we will continue to the charming seaside parish of Urzelina for a short walking tour before visiting a local cheese factory for the opportunity to taste the famous São Jorge cheese. 

• Meals: Breakfast
• Hotel: Hotel Sao Jorge Garden (Double\Twin) or similar

In the morning, your local driver/guide will collect you and transfer you to the ferry terminal for a short ferry ride to Pico Island. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to the next hotel to drop off your luggage. In the afternoon, you will hike the Vinhas da Criação Velha trail that follows the coast passing by tide wells, a common type of well on the island that collects brackish water for domestic use or for the vineyards. The high ground of the hike offers views over the vineyards and Madelena Islets, exposed remains of submarine volcano.  

• Meals: Breakfast
• Hotel: Hotel Caravelas (Double/Twin) or similar

After breakfast, embark on a tour of Pico ‘Mountain Island.’ First, we will visit São Mateus Church and then continue to the local whaling museum to learn about the erstwhile livelihood of most islanders. We will then continue to Arcos do Cachorro, an impressive display of rock formations protruding from the sea. Look out for the one in the shape of a dog! Next, we’ll enjoy a private visit to Pico Wine Museum followed by a tasting of local wine in Cella Bar with an amazing view over Faial Island. 

• Meals: Breakfast
• Hotel: Hotel Caravelas (Double/Twin) or similar

In the morning, walk to the ferry terminal for a short ferry crossing to Faial Island. Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to your next hotel to drop off your luggage.   Afterwards, your guide will lead you on a walking tour through the town. Horta was a well-known harbour city, especially during the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. The natural bay offered good shelter to many kinds of ships, from American whaling ships to the ships of German, English and American submarine cable companies. Today, Horta’s marina is still a destination for yachts crossing the Atlantic. This walking tour gives you the opportunity to learn about the many historical events that occurred on Faial since the first settlers arrived in the 15th century. 

• Meals: Breakfast
• Hotel: Azoris Faial Garden Resort Hotel (Double/Twin) or similar

After breakfast, meet your guide and begin a full day tour discovering the island of Faial. Your first stop is the scenic point of “Espalamaca” to view the harbour and all its surroundings, followed by a visit to the ‘Caldeira’. The ‘Caldeira’ is a large crater in the central part of the island, where you can view the beautiful landscape of a natural protected area. From here we will start the 2.5-hour walking trail circling the cauldron, which has a diameter of approximately 2km. The Caldeira do Faial rises to 1,043 meters from sea level to ‘Cabeço Gordo’, which is the island’s highest point. This area was the first nature reserve of the Azores due to the luxurious and well-preserved Laurissilva (laurel forest) present there. Wandering through hedges of hydrangeas, we will be able to see on one side the 400-meter-deep bottom of the crater and, on the other side, the Atlantic Ocean with neighbouring islands São Jorge and Pico. The ‘Caldeira of Faial’ is one of the most stunning and major volcanic craters of the Azores with endemic vegetation of the archipelago in an almost perfect state of conservation. Your tour finishes at the ‘Capelinhos’ volcano, which last erupted in 1958. 

• Meals: Breakfast / Lunch
• Hotel: Azoris Faial Garden Resort Hotel (Double/Twin) or similar

Today, enjoy your day at leisure or take an optional whale watching tour. 

• Meals: Breakfast
• Hotel: Azoris Faial Garden Resort Hotel (Double/Twin) or similar

After breakfast, meet your driver for your private transfer to the airport and continue your journey to your next destination.

• Meals: Breakfast