The Azores

From volcanic craters and thermal waters to lush vegetation and picturesque coasts, enjoy the natural splendor of this Portuguese archipelago and see why the Azores are commonly referred to as “the Hawaii of Europe.”
Hotel Name: The Grand Hotel Açores Atlântico

This is the Azores. A set of islands virtually untouched by urban development. Your adventure begins on São Miguel, the largest of the nine volcanic islands. Relax and explore as you wish, perhaps sit along the seaside promenade and breathe in the mild air of the Atlantic.

Visit Area: Off-Road Sete Cidades Experience
Navigate the rim of Sete Cidades, a civil parish on the island of Sao Miguel as you discover its massive caldera and dazzling twin lakes. According to Azorean legend, the lakes’ brilliant colors of green and blue were formed from the tears of a lovesick shepherd and princess engaged in a forbidden affair.

Get to know Ponta Delgada, the capital city of São Miguel, on a morning walking tour of the area. This afternoon, traverse the dirt paths to the Sete Cidades caldera’s highest point on an off-road adventure. On your way, gaze down upon the blue lake (reflecting the sky) and the adjacent green lake (reflecting the lush vegetation). As you take in the greenery around you, an Impact Moment introduces how our partnership with a local company is supporting reforestation efforts on the island. Celebrate the beginning of your journey with a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included

Admittance: Choice on Tour: Terra Nostra Botanical Garden or Thermal Pool Experience
Choose between a visit to a gorgeous botanical garden or a dip in relaxing waters. For the first choice, embark on a guided visit to the organic paradise that is the Terra Nostra Botanical Garden. From colorful flowers to palm trees, aquatic plants, bamboo, azaleas, and more, stroll through the garden alongside your guide to see what’s in bloom. Your second choice is to take a dip into the warm, mineral-enriched waters of the Terra Nostra pool. While you soak in the thermal spring waters, take in the gorgeous surrounding views of Terra Nostra Park and the Valley of Furnas. Savor the views in addition to appreciating the history; the pool was built in the 18th century by the American consul to the Azores. Walk in Terra Nostra Botanical Gardens - NEO Day 3 Activity Level: 2 Tour Manager or a local guide will guide the walk. Swim in the Terra Nostra Pools - NEO Day 3 Activity Level: 1 Travelers need to bring their own bathing suit and water shoes or flip flops.

Start the day with a visit to one of the few remaining basket weavers on the island. Learn how willow basket making has evolved and how this father-son enterprise has kept this traditional craft alive. Then, it’s your choice! Enjoy the thermal waters at the Terra Nostra pool,* built in the 18th century by the American consul to the Azores -OR- embark on a guided visit to the organic paradise that is the Terra Nostra Botanical Garden. For lunch, enjoy a traditional cozido das furnas meal, where your food is cooked in the earth’s volcanic heat. Later, continue on to the green fields of a nearby tea plantation where we will learn about this unique crop before an evening of leisure in São Miguel.

Breakfast Included
Lunch Included

Visit Area: Furnas Valley
Furnas Valley is a civil parish whose name originates from the Portuguese word for caverns. One of the earliest references to Furnas came from the harvesting of the trees in the valley in order to assist the construction of many of the homes destroyed by the 1522 earthquake and landslides in Vila Franca do Campo. After being deforested and isolated, the English Consul-General constructed a home in 1855, which eventually started renting out rooms to summer tourists.

Today enjoy a full free day to explore Sao Miguel at your own pace. Or you may choose to join a Flavors of Sao Miguel optional tour where you will taste your way through some of the unique products this island has to offer. At a local quinta, taste Azorean gin, blended with botanicals and seaweed and learn how a local foundation supports local marine conservation. End this optional excursion with a light lunch of locally-sourced ingredients. Regardless of how you choose to spend your day, gather tonight for a home-hosted dinner at a local village.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included
Hotel Name: Pico Terramar Hotel

Admittance: Home-Hosted Dinner

Board your flight to Pico, one of the most unique Azorean islands. Start with a visit to the Pico Wine Museum, where you will learn about the uniqueness and adaptability of the wine production on the island. See firsthand why the vineyard landscape is labeled as a UNESCO Heritage site. Check-in to your hotel for the next two nights. End your day with an included dinner at a local restaurant.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included

Visit Area: Angra do Heroismo
During the pioneering Age of Discovery, this UNESCO World Heritage site served as the major port of call between Europe, Africa and the Americas. Today, the vestige of trade and commerce on the waterfront can still be seen with its maritime forts, manors and city squares.

We will start your day by visiting the whaling museum that highlights the historical ties of the industry to the culture of the islands. Learn about the importance of whaling to Pico through the 1980s and the transition from hunting to protecting these giants of the oceans. Bring your walking shoes today to visit the Lagoa do Capitao and look out over Sao Jorge Island in the distance. Travel to one of the most prestigious wine producers in the archipelago for a tasting. End your day with an included dinner at a local restaurant.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included
Hotel Name: Zenite Boutique Hotel & Spa

Visit Area: Algar do Carvao
One of the few places in the world where you can actually explore and descend into the depths of a volcano. Known as the “Cavern of Coal,” this ancient lava tube formed about 3,200 years ago and contains stunning stalagmites and stalactites, an underground lake and otherworldly grottos.

Board your flight to Terceira and say hello to the colorful capital of Angra do Heroismo (UNESCO) with a local guide. Restored in traditional style, the city features white facades and vibrant trims. Learn about the Holy Ghost Chapels, known locally as Imperios, and customs surrounding this tradition. Tonight, get a taste of the culture at a local restaurant.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included

Visit Area: Natural Volcanic Pools

Start your day with a swim* in the natural volcanic pools of Biscoitos. Later, on your way to Algar do Carvao, stop at Serra do Cume viewpoint where views of the agricultural fields and their neat orderly stone walls will take your breath away. At Algar do Carvao, the “Cavern of Coal,” feel the quiet stillness as you descend into this ancient lava tube. Enjoy the evening to explore Angra do Heroismo as you wish.

Breakfast Included

Admittance: Volcanic Stone House Stay

Today, the day is yours to enjoy at your own pace. You may choose to join an optional tour to the western side of Terceira in the morning, sipping coffee at an organic coffee plantation and tasting locally grown bananas along the way and ending at a family-owned cheese factory for a light lunch made up of local products. End the day at a tapas home-hosted dining experience.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included
Hotel Name: Bessa Hotel Liberdade

Admittance: Pico Wine Museum
Found in a Carmelite convent, this winery and museum offers oenophiles a chance to trace the rich history of wine in the Azores. Tour the old distillery and learn how Pico’s vinho became famous across the seas with Russian royalty.

Say farewell to the Azores archipelago as you head to Lisbon in continental Europe. Lisbon, known as the city of the seven hills, and the starting point of many of its 15th century explorations, was also the departure point of many of its immigrants that crossed the Atlantic searching for a better life. Check in to your hotel after your flight and enjoy a free night.

Breakfast Included

Start your morning with a panoramic tour of Belem. See the imposing 16th century Jeronimos Monastery and the Belem Tower, a fortress built to protect Lisbon and later used as a prison. Return to downtown Lisbon and join a walking food tour in one of the historical neighborhoods of Lisbon. Every corner of the city seems to be about to tell you a story, with a unique character and "tascas" with delicious "petiscos". Enjoy free time for the rest of the afternoon before you gather for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Breakfast Included
Lunch Included
Dinner Included

Say adeus (goodbye) to Portugal and the Azores as you depart this coastal paradise.

Breakfast Included