Walking Holiday in Portugal - Azores

São Miguel is the largest of the Azores Islands and offers a wide variety of walking around attractive villages, volcanic crater rims, colourful lakes and winding Levadas.

Santa Maria is the oldest of the Azores Islands where our walking routes will take you to dramatic cliffs, fascinating rock formations and stunning fauna (it is a geologists and botanist’s paradise).

Guided Walking

We include four guided walks in a 7 night stay (two on São Miguel and two on Santa Maria for this island combination). Walks are from 3 - 9 miles in length and considered easy or moderate.

We offer guided walks to the major volcanic lakes as well as coastal and rural walks in São Miguel. In Santa Maria we offer guided walks to the highest point on the island Pico Alto, through the “red desert of the Azores” and walks past waterfalls and vineyards.

Please note guided walks require a minimum of 2 people. All walks include an English speaking guide and all necessary transportation.

Self-Guided Itinerary (please note these are proposed itineraries, they are subject to change if flight times change).

Day 1: Arrive São Miguel. Overnight São Miguel (B&B).

Day 2: Take the bus (timetable provided) 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 of the main walk. 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. Overnight São Miguel (HB - Half Board).

Ascent: 160m. Descent: 160m. Distance: 7 miles. Time: 2.45 hours (excluding possible extensions).

Day 3: Take the bus (timetable provided) to Sete Cidades, set within the volcanic crater containing Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Verde, a must on any visit to São Miguel. One route takes you up to the crater rim on the west side of the lakes, finally descending to the small village of Joao Bom. Overnight São Miguel (HB).

Ascent: 480m. Descent: 510m. Distance: 9 miles. Time: 4 hours.

Day 4: Take the bus (timetable provided) to Povocao. 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 São Miguel. Overnight São Miguel (HB).

Ascent: 610m. Descent: 610m. Distance: 8 miles. Time: 4 hours.

Day 5: Transfer to the airport to take an early morning flight to Santa Maria (30 minutes). Transfer to your hotel before beginning your first walk on this beautiful, small island – a great contrast to the much larger São Miguel.

Today’s walk is the first section of the round island GR walk and can be done alone or combined with the next section. It is an exhilarating walk, first along the cliffs then the sea edge for the last section of the walk (tide dependent).  It is a dream for amateur geologists and botanists with the fascinating rock formations and the profusion of plants, beautiful flowers and butterflies.

Ascent: 260m. Descent: 262m. Distance: 4.25 miles. Time: 3 hours.

The second section, if you wish to continue on today, takes you through sleepy hamlets, past a whale observation point and close to some impressive hexagonal basalt formations like those found on the Giant’s Causeway. Overnight Santa Maria (HB).

Ascent: 660m. Descent: 355m. Distance: 5.5 miles. Time: 4 hours.

Day 6: This fantastic walk could be done as one very long day’s walk – almost 25km and 10 hours of walking, but can also be tackled in sections, or a variety of combinations of sections from east to west.  It starts at the beautiful São Laurenço Bay on the east coast and immediately climbs up a dramatic cliff, thereafter undulating through picturesque countryside and gradually ascending into the Alpine-looking forest to the highest point of the island (587m) where you are rewarded with spectacular views all around.  A delightful, easy descent through lovely woodland brings you back to follow the path along the north coast past the island’s tiny ‘desert’ (the only one in Europe)  and along stunning cliffs with spectacular views to the sea below and ahead towards the plain.  The walk finishes in Anjos, where you can see the chapel where Columbus went to Mass on his return from the New World. Overnight Santa Maria (HB).

Stage1: Ascent: 215m. Descent: 245m. Distance: 4.25 miles. Time: 2.5 hours.

Stage 2: Ascent: 500m. Descent: 150m. Distance: 4.5 miles. Time: 3 hours.

Stage 3: Ascent: 60m. Descent: 405m. Distance: 3.25 miles. Time: 2 hours.

Stage 4: Ascent: 160m. Descent: 370m. Distance: 4.75 miles. Time: 3 hours.

Stages 1-4 combined: Ascent: 935m. Descent: 1170m. Distance: 16.75 miles. Time: 10.5 hours (combined total, can be split into 4 sections as shown above).

Day 7: Today you can either go back to complete another section/s from yesterdays walk that you may have missed or you can have a rest day. Overnight Santa Maria (HB).

Day 8: Transfer to the airport for your flight back to São Miguel for your flight home.

Alternatively you can take a late flight from Santa Maria on day 7 and have your last night on São Miguel ready for your flight the following day, or continue on to another island.

Price in GBP£ Price in USD$

Eastern Islands – São Miguel & Santa Maria

Included						Not Included
ü		7 night’s accommodation				û		Lunches & drinks with meals
ü		7 breakfasts				û		1 dinner (first night)
ü		6 dinners				û		Travel Insurance (required)
ü		Return transfers between Santa Maria airport and hotel
ü		Inter-island return flights between Ponta Delgada and Santa Maria
ü		Route notes & walking map
Optional Extras
Ø	‘With flights’ includes typical flight prices between London Gatwick and Ponta Delgada airport. Flights are also available from many local airports (exact price for your dates available on request).
Ø	4 days guided walking is available at a supplement (English speaking guide and transport included)

Please note these prices will differ from our current brochure price list and are the current correct prices.

All prices valid for 2023

Prices are per person in GBP / UK £ and are based on a shared twin/double standard room.

7 Nights – Standard Grade hotels (4 nights São Miguel, 3 nights Santa Maria)

Dates	With Flights	Without Flights	Extra Night	Single Supplement	4 days Guided Walking Supplement
01 May – 15 Jun	1017	827	POA	26	196
16 Jun – 30 Sep	1110	890	POA	31	196
01 Oct – 31 Oct	1005	810	POA	26	196

POA – Price on application

Room upgrades (per person per night):

Hotel Vila Nova:

·       Junior suite £53

·       Suite deluxe £87

Hotel Santa Maria:

Suite - £17

7 Nights – Higher Grade hotels (4 nights São Miguel, 3 nights Santa Maria)

Dates	With Flights	Without Flights	Extra Night	Single Supplement	4 days Guided Walking Supplement
01 May – 15 Jun	1074	884	POA	26	196
16 Jun – 30 Sep	1202	982	POA	31	196
01 Oct – 31 Oct	1086	896	POA	26	196

POA – Price on application

Room upgrades (per person per night):

Hotel Do Colegio:

·       Superior Room £13

·       Suite £13

·       Superior Suite £23

Price in GBP£ Price in USD$

This map is for illustration purposes only and we cannot be held responsible for its accuracy.

MS Vila Nova Hotel, Ponta Delgada - 3 Star

Hotel Do Colégio, São Miguel - 4 Star

Hotel Talisman, São Miguel - 4 Star

Hotel Santa Maria, Santa Maria - 3 Star

Charming Blue, Santa Maria - 4 Star

Availability Information

Walking is possible all year around in the Azores. Spring is early so April and May are good times and Autumn extends into November. Being islands in the middle of the Atlantic it does tend to rain with the wettest months from October to March. The driest are July and August. There is only a 9°C variation (15 - 24°C) in average day time temperature between the coldest and warmest months so it is never very cold nor are there any prolonged hot days.

Please note our best to go information is generally referring to the walking which may fall in the early or late season in some places. This may mean that not all tourist facilities will be open at the time you visit. 

When to book your walking holiday in Portugal - Azores - Portugal - Azores - Eastern Islands

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