Europe · Portugal
Ten days by car on three Azores islands: the Sete Cidades lakes and Furnas valley on São Miguel, the lava vineyards of Pico, Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira. Rental car and inter-island flights included.
Quick facts
Indicative price from
€1,399
per person
This itinerary is a starting point: we'll adapt it with you in your tailor-made proposal.
Request informationThree volcanic islands in the middle of the Atlantic, each with its own character. São Miguel, the largest, has the twin lakes of Sete Cidades in their crater and the Furnas valley, with hot springs, steam rising from the ground and the tropical garden of Terra Nostra Park.
Pico is dominated by Portugal's highest volcano. Here you visit Gruta das Torres, a long lava tube, and the vineyards enclosed by black stone walls, a UNESCO site, with the whalers' museum in Lajes. Terceira ends the trip with Angra do Heroísmo, a historic UNESCO-listed town, and the natural pools of Biscoitos.
A self-drive trip, with a rental car on each island, inter-island flights and 9 nights in 4-star hotels with breakfast.
10 days in the programme
São Miguel island. Arrival at Ponta Delgada airport, the main town of São Miguel, rental car pick-up and check-in at the hotel.
The twin lakes. A morning in the centre of Ponta Delgada: São Francisco square, the Church of Hope with the Christ of Miracles, the Portas da Cidade, the market and São Pedro church. In the afternoon, a drive west to the Sete Cidades massif and its twin lakes, one green and one blue.
Hot springs and gardens. A day in the Furnas valley, among hot springs and fumaroles, where cozido, the local stew, is cooked underground by volcanic heat. A visit to Terra Nostra Park, with its tropical vegetation and large thermal pool.
The volcano island. Car drop-off and inter-island flight to Pico. On arrival, pick-up of your new car and check-in at the hotel. The rest of the day free to explore the surroundings.
Lava and vineyards. A guided visit to Gruta das Torres, the longest lava tube in Portugal, with its shapes carved by lava. On to Criação Velha, among vineyards enclosed by black stone walls, a UNESCO site.
Whalers and wineries. In Lajes do Pico, the whalers' museum, then Lagoa do Capitão with its view of the volcano. A visit to Lajido de Santa Luzia, a UNESCO wine area, and Cachorro, an old landing place for loading wine. A tasting at a local winery and the Madalena wine museum.
The historic island. Car drop-off and inter-island flight to Terceira. Car pick-up and check-in at the hotel. The rest of the day at leisure.
The UNESCO town. A visit to Angra do Heroísmo, a UNESCO site: the cathedral, São Francisco convent, São Sebastião castle and Monte Brasil, the volcanic headland above the town. Free time in the streets of the centre.
The east side and the lava pools. A drive east: Praia da Vitória, the Serra do Cume viewpoint over fields divided by stone walls, and Biscoitos, with its natural pools in the lava rock.
End of the trip. Car drop-off at the airport and end of the trip.
