Explore the Azores

Itinerary

Day 1 - Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island

This afternoon we board Expedition to begin our exploration of the remote islands of the Azores

Day 2 - Sao Miguel

Spend the day exploring the capital city and surrounding area of this lush green island. Enjoy a guided tour to the Sete Cidades before the afternoon sailing on the MS Expedition.

Day 3 - Terciera

The highlight of Terciera are the historic buildings and car free area of Angra do Heroismo, that takes us back to the period were trading ships were traveling from Europe to the New World. This is the second UNESCO World Heritage site on our Expedition. We will also visit the nearby Monte Brazil that includes fascinating fortifications used to defend the harbor in the 17th century.

Day 4 - Graciosa

Frozen in time, this quite and relaxed islands is scattered with distinctivly red windmills and whitewashed houses. We will take a long winding staircase down to the geological phenomenon of the Furna do Enxofre, a volcanitc cavern and lake at the bottom of a caldera. The afternoon will be spent exploring the coastline and visiting one of the protected bird sanctuaries of Ilheu da Praia or Ilheu de Baixo said to have one of the richest and most diverse concentration of seabirds in the Azores.

Day 5 - Sao Jorge

We will enjoy the morning exploring Sao Jorge, many of the areas inaccessible by land. We hope to see vast bird colonies and other natural wonders.

Day 6 - Pico

Pico is famous for its fortified Verdelho wine, the extensive vineyards are so impressive that in 2002 UNESCO designated them a World Heritage Site. We will enjoy a visit to a winery, a tasting and a wine museum.

Day 7 - Flores & Corvo

Sailing to the western edge of the Azores bring us to Flores, the Isle of Flowers, we will marvel in the islands natural beauty including the volcanic cliffs of Rocha dos Bordoes and volcanic craters often filled with lakes. The tiny and remote island of Corvo will give us the opportunity to hike the rim of a volcanic cone, if the weather is clear we should be able to see right across this 2 km caldera.

Day 8 - Faial

We will visit the town of Horta, enjoying the local communities and spending time in the museums to learn about how the volcanic activity on the island has affected the inhabitants. We will also visit Ponta dos Capelinhos, the site of a 1957 volcanic eruption that added 2 km to the island.

Day 9 - Santa Maria

We sail east back to the only island non completely volcanic in the Azores Santa Maria. We will spend the day a leisure enjoying the sandy beaches, terraced hillside cliffs, stone terraced vineyards at Maia and always watching the water for whales and dolphins.

Day 10 - Sao Miguel

Depending on your flight time a day tour can be arranged to include Furnas village including the thermal waters, geysers and beautiful gardens. A tea plantation and traditionally cooked lunch (cooked volcanically)