Island Hopping in the Azores

Arrive at your hotel in Sao Miguel.

Take the bus (payable locally) to Furnas and walk to the Lagoa das Furnas. The walk starts and finishes in the attractive village of Furnas, with an optional extra walk round the village at the end. Confirmation of the volcanic origins of São Miguel is nowhere more evident than here. The picturesque Parque Terra Nostra is in the village centre, together with thermal baths.

Take the bus (payable locally) to Sete Cidades, set within the volcanic crater containing Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Verde, a must on any visit to Sao Miguel. Head up to the Vista do Rei viewpoint before either returning the way you came or taking a transfer (must be pre-arranged locally) back to Ponta Delgada.

Take the bus (payable locally) to Praia. This walk takes you from almost sea level, steeply uphill across meadows, through dense woodland, alongside a levada (water channel), and finally over heather covered mountainside to arrive at the remote shore of Lagoa do Fogo, the highest lake of Sao Miguel.

Explore historic Ponta Delgada before departing Sao Miguel and flying to Sao Jorge, one of the greenest of the islands.

A real ‘must do’ walk with great variety from misty hills, lush ravines and waterfalls to high cliffs and an insight to life on the Fajas. Plenty of places to linger by the sea for a picnic so be generous with your time in arranging return transport.

An easy walk, through meadowlands to the lighthouse at the far end of São Jorge, the views from the cliffs are spectacular. Sit here for a picnic and feel the real remoteness of these islands, with possible sightings of dolphins and whales.

Take the ferry over to Pico and, time-permitting, enjoy an easy walk down the lower slopes of Mount Pico with interesting lava tunnels at the start and superb views over to Faial. Or you can opt for a more adventurous walk to the top of Mount Pico (2351m) guide compulsory, best arranged in advance.

Take a half day whale watching (optional extra) or take the following walk. This is a stunning walk but with mostly descents down to sea level. The first section is very easy amongst wild scenery contrasting with the second half which is mainly down through interesting vegetation and forest leading to the picturesque village of Sao Roque. This could be a superb full day walk using your extra time to explore Sao Roque, visiting its Whaling Museum and maybe having a swim in the sea.

Transfer to the port of Madalana for the ferry across to Horta on Faial, check in to your hotel and take one of our walks to Rocha da Faja. This short walk is ideal as an introduction to the Fajas of the Azores.

In good weather this is the highlight of walking on Faial. Walk around the rim of a volcano (dormant), the Caldeira crater, it is breathtaking along with views over Faial and to the ocean and islands in the distance.

This walk is superb with stunning views and an opportunity to explore two crater rims, ending at the Museum in Capelinhos showing the history of the Capelinhos eruption, which only happened just over 60 years ago. Then take an afternoon or evening flight to Santa Maria.

Today is an exhilarating walk, first along the cliffs then the sea edge for the last section of the walk. It is a dream for amateur geologists and botanists with the fascinating rock formations and the profusion of plants, beautiful flowers and butterflies.

Your final walk goes along the western end of the north coast and goes through lovely woodland and past the Desert, almost 8 sq km of red clay caused by pyroclastic activity. You can visit viewpoints and a picturesque isolated bay, go through fields, round a headland and along cliff tops, finally emerging into the pretty little town of Anjos where there is an imposing statue of Columbus who returned here, having discovered the New World.