Volcanic peaks, whale-populated waters and emerald forests are your playground for this fun-filled adventure on São Miguel, the largest island in the Azores. Every day brings a new thrill: one moment you’re hiking volcanic highlands, the next you’re bathing in thermal pools, biking glorious trails or eating a lunch cooked underground by geothermal heat. Each activity takes you deeper into the natural beauty and rich history of the island, while your tour leader shares their unrivalled local insight for a truly immersive experience.
Activity Areas
Mixed-Activity
New Cultural Holidays
New Mixed-Activity Holidays
Region & Country & City
Europe: Azores, Portugal
Included in the Price
- All breakfasts, five lunches, one dinner - All accommodation - All transport and listed activities - Tour leader throughout - Group arrival and departure transfers available
Not Included In The Price
- Travel insurance - Single accommodation (available on request) - Visas or vaccinations
Accommodation Information
- Accommodation: 7 Superior nights (Pêro de Teive Bay) - Travel by private bus - Group normally 4 to 16, plus leader. Minimum age: 16
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival in São Miguel
Begin your adventure in Ponta Delgada, the capital of São Miguel. Once a key port on transatlantic trade routes, today it’s a beautiful hub for our adventure with cobbled streets, ornate churches and harbour cafés to explore.
Around 6pm, say olá to your tour leader and fellow travellers when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know one another and hear more about the journey ahead. Your leader then ensures a warm Portuguese welcome by arranging a group dinner at a local restaurant.
Want more time in Ponta Delgada? Speak to your sales representative about booking pre-tour accommodation.
Day 2 Walking tour of Ponta Delgada • Cycle through Pinhal da Paz Forest Reserve
Set out on foot to get a feel for Ponta Delgada, the lively island capital. Our walk takes in the main landmarks, including the elegant Church of São Sebastião and the Church of Senhor Santo Cristo, home to a revered 15th-century image brought from Rome.
After, we collect our bikes and ride north. Our three-hour cycle (18mi/30km) takes us to and around Pinhal da Paz. This forest reserve is a patchwork of native trees, gardens and open meadows, an ideal spot for a relaxed picnic lunch.
In the afternoon, we visit a traditional pineapple plantation, where dozens of small greenhouses reveal each stage of the slow-growing fruit, nurtured using methods unique to São Miguel. We end the day at the António Borges Botanical Garden, created by a 19th-century visionary who filled his estate with rare and exotic species from across the world.
Day 3 Hike to the magnificent twin lakes of Sete Cidades • Lake kayaking
A 45-minute transfer takes us to Sete Cidades, one of São Miguel’s most extraordinary natural wonders and the start point of today’s hike. Our route follows the Serra Devassa Trail, a 5.5mi (9km) hike through volcanic highlands and wetland habitats. En route, we see the remnants of the Muro do Carvão aqueduct and reach Pico das Éguas for sweeping views over the island.
Reaching the Grota do Inferno viewpoint, we can gaze over the magnificent twin lakes of Sete Cidades: one blue, one green.
Descending to the village of Sete Cidades, we have lunch at a restaurant or a picnic lunch. That’ll be your fuel for this afternoon’s activity: kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding on either Lagoa Azul or Lagoa Verde or, if you’d prefer, cycling around the water.
Day 4 Whale-watching excursion in the morning • Free afternoon
Today starts with a splash. Boarding boats, we head onto the Atlantic Ocean, accompanied by an expert team of lookouts, skippers and biologists in search of ocean giants.
The Azores are a permanent home or site of passage for more than a third of the world’s whale and dolphin species: sperm whales, common dolphins, bottlenose dolphins and Risso’s dolphins reside here year round. Other species visit or pass through during specific seasons. Summer is the best time to see Atlantic spotted dolphins, pilot whales and striped dolphins, while spring is the best time to see migrating baleen whales, including blue whales or fin whales.
The adventure lasts between 2hr 30min and three hours. Before departure, we also have a 30-minute briefing to learn about the dolphins and whales and how to respectfully observe these ocean giants.
Following an unforgettable morning, the afternoon is free for you to enjoy as you wish, perhaps making a splash of your own in the hotel pool.
Day 5 Hike around Furnas Lake and Grená Park • Taste hot spring-cooked ‘cozido’
A scenic drive (1hr 15min) along the south coast takes us to Furnas Lake. The first 3mi (5km) of today’s hike starts at the Nossa Senhora das Vitoria chapel, tracing the southern shores of the lake to a collection of hot springs (or fumaroles) where the local speciality, cozido das caldeiras, is cooked underground using geothermal heat.
The second section of our hike follows a 2mi (3km) trail in Grená Park, home to emerald trees and crystalline waterfalls, before we arrive at a village for a typical cozido lunch.
After, we visit Terra Nostra Garden, one of the most beautiful gardens in Europe, with more than 2,000 different trees and a thermal swimming pool where we can take a dip in the ferrous water.
Continue crossing the island to the north side, where the tea plantations are located. After visiting a factory and sampling their produce, we return to Ponta Delgada.
Day 6 Hike the Salto do Cabrito trail • Bathe in thermal pools
Our day starts at the Salto do Cabrito trail, a 5mi (8.5km) circular route following old water pipelines and forest paths via the Salto do Cabrito waterfall. Passing a disused hydroelectric plant, we cross suspension walkways and climb to viewpoints over the gorge before returning to our start point.
After lunch, either at a restaurant or a picnic, we drive to 2,960ft (900m) above sea level for a glorious view over the Lagoa do Fogo nature reserve, before visiting the Caldeira Velha nature reserve to bathe in thermal pools.
Day 7 Cycle to Vila Franca by bike • Kayak along the coast to discover cliffs and caves
We’re back on the bikes today to cycle (32mi/52km) along the south coast to Vila Franca do Campo, the first capital of the island and most important settlement in the Azores until 1522, when it was destroyed by a violent earthquake.
After a short stroll through the village, with the chance to sample the local sweet pastries, Queijadas da Vila, we pause for lunch at a local restaurant or picnic.
Then, we trade pedal for paddle, kayaking from Vila Franca marina to discover high cliffs, bays, and small caves. With our experienced guides, we learn some of the local legends and, if the weather permits, enjoy some snorkelling to explore beneath the surface.
We return to the hotel by bike and enjoy our last night together.
Day 8 Adventure ends in Ponta Delgada
You’ve cycled forest trails, hiked volcanic craters, and watched whales breach in the Atlantic, but now it’s time to begin your return journey home.
Alternatively, if you’d like to extend your adventure, speak to your sales representative about our range of extension options across the Azores and mainland Portugal.
