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Azores

The Amazing Azores: From Volcanoes to Vineyards

Program No. 22755RJ
Venture to the extraordinary volcanoes of the Azores, and explore the islands’ dramatic lakes and craters. Join experts to learn the islands’ fascinating history of wine and whaling.
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  • 22755-PT-Sao Miguel-Vista Do Rei-Sete Cidades-Twin Lakes-Hike-lghoz.jpg
  • 22755-PT-Terceira-Biscoito Pools-74-c.jpg
  • 22755-PT-Sao Miguel-Ponta Delgada-Walking Tour-65-c.jpg
  • 22755-PT-Sao Miguel-Ananases Arruda Pineapple Farm-11-c.jpg
  • 22755-PT-Sao Miguel-Capelas-Oficina Museu-16-c.jpg
  • 22755-PT-Terceira-Angra do Heroismo-Monte Brasil-Hike-98-c.jpg
  • 22755-PT-Terceira-Serra do Cume-11-c.jpg
  • 22755-capelinhos-centre-underground-museum-c.jpg
  • 22755-PT-Sao Miguel-Ribeira dos Caldeiroes-215-c.jpg
  • 22755-PT-Sao Miguel-Furnas Lake-Cozido-35-c.jpg
  • 22755-PT-Sao Miguel-Terra Nostra Garden Hotel-Cozido Lunch-16-c-c.jpg
  • 22755-PT-Sao Miguel-Furnas Village-Terra Nostra Garden Hotel-375-c.jpg
  • 22755-PT-Sao Miguel-Gorreana Tea Plantation-57-c.jpg
  • 22755-PT-Sao Miguel-Ribeira Grande-24-c.jpg
Small Group
Length
13 days
Rating (4.94)
Activity Level
Starts at
5,449
Special Offer
Flights start at
FREE

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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
13 days
12 nights
What's Included
28 meals ( 11B, 10L, 7D )
2 expert-led lectures
27 expert-led field trips
2 flights during the program
1 hands-on experience
An experienced Group Leader
11 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
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Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m. Walking about 2 miles, approximately 1.5 hours with stops and visits; cobblestone pavement.
Morning:
Transfer from Horta airport to the hotel. NOTE: The Group Leader will be in the hotel lobby to meet and welcome participants and will confirm the timing and place of the introductory walk and the orientation session to be held this afternoon.
Lunch:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Afternoon:
We’ll meet the Group Leader in the hotel lobby to set out on a walk through the town of Horta. Walk along the famous marina, passing by the iconic painted sea front walls, stopping enroute to visit the Horta Museum, home to a beautiful Fig Tree and Pith art collection. Returning to the hotel we will have our Orientation meeting. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/current conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 44 miles, approximately 2.5 hours total riding time. Walking up to 2 miles, approximately 1.5 hours. Botanical Garden mostly level terrain with steps and an incline at entrance. Short walk from bus to Capelinhos Volcano Center - steps or ramps to enter and exit the center.
Breakfast:
At the hotel restaurant.
Morning:
We’ll meet in the hotel lobby and depart by bus to the most western tip of Faial Island for a guided visit of the Capelinhos Volcano Interpretation Centre. Built underground, beneath the surviving lighthouse, you will learn about the eruption of 1957-58 and have some free time to explore the ash covered landscape surrounding the center.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we will drive to the Faial Botanical Gardens for a visit with a local expert before enjoying some time to walk around the gardens and to visit their Orchidarium at our own pace. After the visit, we’ll reboard the bus and return to the hotel.
Dinner:
We’ll take a short walk from the hotel to a nearby restaurant where we will cook our own dinner. Choose from a selection of fish and meats and cook on a hot lava basalt stone placed in front of each customer.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a ferry; riding 5 miles, 1/2 mile each way. Getting on/off a bus; driving about 58 miles, approximately 3 hours total riding time. Walking up to 1-2 miles; mostly level terrain.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
After an early breakfast, transfer to Horta ferry terminal for a 30-minute ferry ride to Pico Island, home to Mount Pico, the highest point in Portugal. Meet your bus and take a short drive to the vineyards at Criaçao Velha, classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO! Enjoy a guided visit through this stunning landscape and learn about the traditional agricultural and production method that make this island’s wines so unique. Continue to the town of Lajes, where you will have a guided visit of the Whaler’s Museum, before stopping at a local restaurant for lunch.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant
Afternoon:
After lunch, we’ll drive to the northern side of Pico Island to the village of Cachorro, with great views over the ocean and the home to a natural rock formation in the shape of a dog. We’ll stop for one final visit at the Wine Museum before catching the ferry back to Faial Island.
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity Note
Extent and duration of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice. Getting on/off an airplane carrying your on hand luggage. Flight time to Terceira approximately 1/2 hour. Getting on/off a bus; driving about 18 miles, approximately 1/2 hour to hotel in Terceira.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most in the town of Horta before checking out of our rooms. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration. Take this opportunity to hike around Monte de Guia located close by your hotel or take a short walk to the Porto Pim beach. Alternatively, you can visit some local museums or visit the local marina. Return to the hotel to check out before meeting in the hotel restaurant for lunch.
Lunch:
At the hotel.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we’ll board the bus and drive to Horta Airport for our flight to Terceira Island. Upon arrival, we’ll board a bus and transfer to our next hotel for check-in.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 37 miles, approximately 1/2 hour at a time. total riding time 2:00 hours Walking up to 1-2 miles; approximately 2 hours (with stops and visits); mostly level terrain but some steeper parts in Angra, some steps, cobblestones, and uneven surfaces.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Meet in the hotel lobby to set out on an Orientation Walk of Angra do Heroísmo, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Stroll through the beautiful gardens and appreciate the local architecture while learning about the historical and geographical importance of Terceira Island.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we will drive to Biscoitos natural pools—weather and sea conditions allowing, we may have an opportunity to swim in the rock pools. We will then take a short walk to visit the Materramenta Project, a family-run initiative dedicated to wine production in the Biscoitos region of Terceira Island. The local volcanic stones protect the vines and contribute to the wine’s distinctive characteristics. We’ll enjoy a wine tasting paired with toasts, Azorean cheese, and homemade jam.We will then return to the hotel to enjoy some downtime before a lecture on geothermal resources on the Azores by a leading engineer of the Azores Geothermal program.
Dinner:
On your own to enjoy local fare
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out, transfer, and flight the next day.At leisure. Prepare for check-out, transfer, and our flight to Ponta Delgada the next day.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 43 miles, approximately 2 hours riding time, up to 1/2 hour at a time. Walking up to ½ mile, approximately ½ hour; mostly level terrain, some steps and uneven surfaces. Getting on/off an airplane carrying your own hand luggage; flight to Ponta Delgada under 1 hour.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Checking out, we will meet in the hotel lobby and depart by bus to the top of Monte Brasil, taking in some of the island’s best viewpoints over the town of Angra do Heroísmo below. Home to one of Portugal’s most important military fortresses, it is also the city’s natural park and a protected landscape. We’ll drive to a local coffee plantation and learn about the coffee production process, from growing to roasting. As the largest producer in the Azores, the plantation is also a fully organic farm, growing a variety of exotic fruits. At the end of the field trip, we will have an opportunity to taste some of the organic coffee at their onsite café, Coffee Cabana.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we’ll board our bus and head across the island towards the town of Praia da Vitoria where we will catch a flight to Ponta Delgada on Sao Miguel Island. Weather permitting, we’ll stop en route at the Serra do Cume viewpoint before driving past the old abandoned military village, located behind the American Air Base at Lajes Airfield. We’ll then arrive at the airport and check in for our flight to Ponta Delgada. Upon arrival we will transfer to our next hotel for check-in and some light snacks.
Dinner:
Coffee station at the hotel with soup, sandwiches, fruit, and hot and cold drinks.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 19 miles, approximately 1 hour total riding time. Walking 1-2 miles, approximately 2 hours with stops and visits; mostly level terrain with some steps, cobblestones and uneven parts.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
After breakfast, we’ll meet our local expert in the hotel lobby and set out on an orientation walk of Ponta Delgada. We’ll learn about the history of the town as we view some of the most important landmarks, including the Chapel of Our Lady of Hope, the former Jesuit College and the City Gates.
Lunch:
We’ll end our walk at a local restaurant for lunch.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we will drive to the Ananases Arruda Pineapple Plantation for a guided field trip around the traditional whitewashed greenhouses, where you will learn about the two-year growth process that makes this local fruit so unique. Continue to the village of Capelas, where you will visit the Oficina Museu, a family home that has been converted into a unique museum, preserving items and traditions from days gone by.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Extent and duration of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice. Getting on/off a bus; driving about 50 miles, approximately 2 hours total riding time, up to 45 minutes at a time. Walking on mostly level terrain at viewpoints and for free time in the village of Sete Cidades.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration.
Lunch:
At the hotel.
Afternoon:
We’ll meet in the hotel lobby and depart by bus to the village of Sete Cidades, home to arguably one of the most famous landscapes of the Azores Islands. Weather permitting, stop at the iconic Vista do Rei (King’s View) viewpoint, before descending into the village below for some free time and an opportunity to see the famous Twin Lakes. Board the bus and return to Ponta Delgada.
Dinner:
On your own.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 29 miles, approximately 1.5 hours total riding time. Walking 1-2 miles during field trips and free time stops; mostly level terrain, some cobblestones, some steps and uneven terrain, grass during garden walk.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Checking out of the hotel, we’ll board the motorcoach and drive to Furnas Lake to visit the CIAF (Furnas Environmental Interpretation Centre), led by one of the center’s experts to learn about the important preservation work being done in the region. We’ll then take a short drive around the lake to visit the fumaroles where we’ll watch our own lunch – the famous Azorean delicacy known as cozido – being retrieved from the cooking place. This varied selection of meats or fish with vegetables is prepared in a special manner, layered in a big pot and lowered into underground holes for up to six hours, during which time volcanic steams cook the dish. We’ll then head to our next hotel.
Lunch:
At the hotel, we’ll enjoy the cozido.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we’ll meet in the hotel lobby and set out on a walk around the Terra Nostra Garden. One of the local experts will lead us around the grounds, introducing the history of its creation and explaining the various endemic and introduced species growing in the garden. Returning to the hotel, we’ll check in to our rooms and have the rest of the afternoon to ourselves.
Dinner:
At the hotel bar.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 63 miles, approximately 2.5 hours total riding time. Walking on mostly level terrain during visits. Cobblestones, steps, and some elective descents/ascents at Ribeira dos Caldeiroes.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll meet in the hotel lobby and depart by bus to the Ribeira dos Caldeiroes Natural Park. We will enjoy the stunning landscapes in this protected area of the island before driving to the famous Gorreana Tea Factory & Plantation. Owned by the same family for five generations, it is the only place in Europe that both grows and manufactures tea. Led by our local expert, we’ll learn about the different types of tea and how they’re made, then take some time to independently explore the plantation in the fields surrounding the property.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
After lunch, weather permitting, we’ll drive up to the Lagoa do Fogo (Fire Lake), a crater lake within the Água de Pau Massif stratovolcano located in the center of the island and one of the most iconic viewpoints on the island. We’ll then ride back to the hotel.
Dinner:
On your own.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 47 miles, approximately 2 hours total riding time. Walking on mostly level terrain during field trips; cobblestones, steps and uneven terrain possible during free time visits.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
After breakfast, we’ll board the bus and drive along the southern coast towards the village of Vila Franca do Campo, the first capital of Sao Miguel Island. Enjoy some free time to independently explore the local marina or to stroll along a black sand beach before driving to a local ceramic factory in the town of Lagoa for an expert-led visit. We’ll continue towards the town of Ribeira Grande and enjoy some independent time to visit the local churches, square, and gardens or to taste some of the traditional liqueurs and chocolates on the local high street.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Free time. Enjoy the hotel spa facilities, explore the surrounding area, or take a dip in the thermal pools! In the early evening, we’ll meet our Group Leader and fellow participants at the bar lounge for a farewell meeting. This is an opportunity to share your experiences about the program and discuss details of the next day’s departure.
Dinner:
At the hotel. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m. An airport transfer will be provided to all participants who purchased international air tickets with Road Scholar. The Group Leader will advise on meeting times and places. See your program’s “Getting There” information regarding transfers.
Breakfast:
At the hotel followed by check-out. The Group Leader will be at hand to confirm departure instructions. This concludes our program.
Morning:
We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to like our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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