Discover the beautiful blue and green lakes of the Sete Cidades caldera
Explore The bubbling volcanic landscape of Furnas, famous for its thermal pools
Hiking through São Miguel’s lush forests with cascading waterfalls
Walk around Europe’s last remaining tea plantation in Gorreana
Stay in comfortable hotels with swimming pools
Hiking on São Miguel island
This week-long walking holiday takes in the best hiking trails on São Miguel, the largest island of the Azores. Located in the heart of the Atlantic Ocean, this volcanic island consists of three majestic craters filled with azure lakes and shrouded in thick forest. On the flanks of the caldera of Sete Cidades, around a green lake, are spread fertile pastures bordered by blue hydrangeas. Along the rugged coast lie sandy beaches and pretty fishing villages. In the interior, the verdant valley of Furnas is home to hot springs, as well as a peaceful village set on a romantic lake. The exuberance of light, the intensity of greens and blues, banana crops, tea plantations and quaint villages with baroque churches and whitewashed houses all add up to an unforgettable walking experience!
8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS | From €975 per person sharing*
*Discounts available for groups of 3 or more. Please enquire for prices. |
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ACCOMMODATION | Double accommodation in 4* hotels in Capelas and Ponta Delgada and in a 2* Residencial in Furnas. Accommodation is on a bed and breakfast basis and all rooms are en-suite. The hotels are carefully selected for their location, atmosphere and/or unique services.
The standard hotels of this trip are listed below. If any are unavailable then we will contact you to discuss alternatives, with possible supplement or deduction.
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AVAILABILITY | This trip is available from April to October and you can start on any day of the week, subject to availability. | ||||||||||||||||||
DIFFICULTY | Easy to moderate walks of between 2 to 4 hours with an average ascent /descent of 100 – 500 metres per walk. | ||||||||||||||||||
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NOT INCLUDED |
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OPTIONAL EXTRAS |
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Day 1: Arrival in The Azores – Transfer to Capelas
Meet and greet at Ponta Delgada airport, before a taxi transfer to the pretty village of Capelas on the rugged north coast of the Island.
You will stay 2 nights in the 4**** Vale do Navio hotel with pool.
Day 2: Sete Cidades
Distance: 12 km | Ascent: 400 m | Descent: 400 m | 4 hrs approx.
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the western part of the island where you will explore the large crater of Sete Cidades. The caldera contains two crater lakes, one green and one blue, separated by a bridge with 7 arches that symbolically represent the 7 cities of the lost continent of Atlantis. At the end of the hike you will be transferred back to your hotel.
Overnight: Vale do Navio 4* hotel
Day 3: Gorreana Tea plantation - Faial da Terra - Furnas
Distance: 4.2 km | Ascent: 265 m | Descent: 265 m | 2 hrs approx.
This morning you will be transferred to the Furnas valley in the centre of the Island. The taxi will drop you off at the tea plantation in Gorreana, the oldest (and currently only) tea plantation in Europe. Here the tea is cultivated, collected and manufactured according to ancestral methods.
After the visit to the tea plantation, you will be transfered by taxi to the small village of Faial da Terra. The Ribeira do Faial is located on the southern coast of the Sao Miguel island, east of the eroded caldeira of Povoação. The hike starts on the banks of the river. The path then takes you gradually deeper in the forest to the Salto do Prego waterfall. Finally, you pass some small stone houses with picturesque gardens before descending into the valley to Faial da Terra.
Transfer to your accommodation in Furnas.
Overnight: Furnas, Vista do Vale hotel.
Day 4: Furnas crater walk
Distance: 12 km | Ascent: 250 m | Descent: 270 m | 3 hrs approx.
Today you will walk in the volcanic caldera of Furnas. Through lush vegetation, you will explore the only active volcano of the archipelago (fumaroles and sulphur springs) and discover its close links with the gastronomic traditions of this valley: the famous “cozido”, a rich meat and vegetable stew which is slow-cooked under the soil at the geothermal lake sides.
Possibility to bathe in the warm waters of Terra Nostra Garden.
Overnight: Furnas, Vista do Vale hotel.
Day 5: Ascent of Pico da Vara or the Lomba do Cavaleiro Trail
Distance: 12 km | Ascent: 725 m | Descent: 725 m | 3 hrs approx.
OR
Distance: 8 km | Ascent: 200 m | Descent 200 m | 3 hrs approx.
Pico da Vara Walk
Transfer to the beginning of the hike. Today’s hike takes you on a climb up to the highest point of the island, through the rainforest, then onto the ridge covered with moorland where the view opens up over the island and the ocean. The Pico da Vara (1100 m) forms a chain that descends to the ocean through forests of “cryptomerias”. It is in this preserved nature that the only endemic bird on the island, the bullfinch, has found refuge. From the summit (and in clear weather!) the panorama is exceptional and embraces the entire island.
Lomba do Cavaleiro Trail
In 2022 the Pico da Vara walk was closed. It is not certain when it will reopen, so the alternative is a beautiful panoramic walk on the south coast from Povoação to the fishing village of Ribeira Quente, passing by Lomba do Cavaleiro viewing point. This trail, widely used before by the people that worked the productive areas of Agrião region, is also a crossing point of the pilgrimage along the island.
After the walk, you will be transferred back to your accommodation.
Overnight: Furnas, Vista do Vale hotel.
Day 6: Lagoa de Fogo
Distance: 11.5 km | Ascent: 520 m | Descent: 500 m | 3 hrs approx.
Transfer to the beginning of the hike. A beautiful hike to the most exceptional and untamed lake on this island: the famous Lagoa do Fogo. To get to this beautiful lake you will walk along a Levada and cross an area of geothermal activity area before climbing to the crest of the caldera, from where you will have many incredible vantage points over the surrounding areas. A wide mountain pass then takes you back down to the coast.
After your walk you will be transferred to Ponta Delgada, the capital of the Azores and a charming town of traditional narrow streets and balconied colonial mansions.
Overnight: Ponta Delgada 3*** hotel.
Day 7: Rota de Agua
Distance: 8 km | Ascent: 250 m | Descent: 250 m | 2½ hrs approx.
Transfer to the starting point for your final walk, which follows the rota de agua (“water route”). After an initial climb through farmland, with wonderful views over Ponta Delagda, the trail enters a thick jungle landscape, where you will find a series of majestic aqueducts that once suppled the ancient Alcohol Factory of Lagoa. Deep in the forest, you will discover the Janela do Inferno (“window to hell”) where a spring flows from a large cavity in the towering rock wall. Take a chance to appreciate the beauty of this place and to regain energy.
Transfer back to Ponta Delgada. Free afternoon in the Capital.
Overnight: Ponta Delgada 3*** hotel.
Day 8: Departure
Transfer to Ponta Delgada Airport for your departing flight.
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