Stay : The great tour of the Azores
A complete tour of the islands can be considered if you have three weeks. Roughly speaking, one can stay one week in São Miguel, ten good days in the central group and four days in the western group, at the extreme end of Europe.
Summary of the stay
Best time to go
21 days
€€ - Charm and comfort
Detail of the stay : The great tour of the Azores - 21 days
Day 1: Ponta Delgada
Steps: Ponta Delgada
Visit Ponta Delgada, its churches, museums and gardens. Stroll through the old streets of the center and the Mar marina. Spend the night in Ponta Delgada.
PORTAS DO MAR
Day 2: Sete Cidades
Steps: Sete Cidades
Direction . Walk around the crater, then down to the natural pools of Mosteiros. Stroll along the north coast. Sleep in the vicinity of .
Day 3: Ribeira Grande and Lagoa do Fogo
Steps: Ribeira Grande
Visit the fascinating Museum of Azorean Emigration in . Sleep in Ribeira Grande.
MUSEU DA EMIGRAÇÃO AÇORIANA
Day 4: The north coast from Porto Formoso to Maia
Steps: Furnas
Visit to a tea plantation. and its magnificent valley. Walk around the lake. Visit the calderas. Spend the night in Furnas.
Day 5: North coast to Nordeste
Steps: Nordeste
Stop at Salto do Cavalo, a fantastic viewpoint over the Furnas valley. Walk, if possible, to Pico da Vara. Overnight at .
Day 6: The east coast and its beautiful viewpoints
Pico Bartolomeu lookout. Serra da Tronqueira route. Discover Povoação, where the island was first settled. Overnight stay in or .
Day 7: Beach at Ribeira Quente or visit to the Lombadas Valley
Steps: Lagoa
A wonderful hike in this wild and beautiful area. Return to Ponta Delgada via Lagoa and a visit to the ceramics factory.
Day 8: Faial
Steps: Horta
Arrival by plane at in the Central Islands. Visit to and its port. Climb for a good view of the bay. With a little time to spare, you can swim at Porto Pim, on the other side of the peninsula.
MONTE DA GUIA
Day 9: Tour of Faial Island
Steps: Capelo, Horta, Cedros, Capelinhos, Praia Do Almoxarife
Tour of the island via , , and its fascinating . Walk on the heights or on the volcano itself, then return to via Morro de Castelo Branco.
CENTRE D'INTERPRÉTATION DU VOLCAN
Day 11: Departure for Pico by boat
Steps: Madalena, Criação Velha
Allow just 30 minutes to discover and the surrounding area. Explore , get lost in the giant labyrinth of Crição Velha's World Heritage vineyards, visit the and leave with a bottle of verdelho. Sleep in Madalena.
Day 12: Island tour
Tour of the island of Pico along the north coast. Walk among the adegas, the traditional basalt wine cellars, and discover the Lajido wine-growing area and interpretation center. Visit São Roque and its whaling museum. Head for the interior and its sparkling lakes, then Lajes do Pico, its beautiful museum, its end-of-the-world atmosphere and its breathtaking views of Mount Pico.
Day 13: Meet the whales
Whale-watching at Lajes (also possible from Madalena), followed by an afternoon stroll in the surrounding area. Or visit the southern coast and its mistérios, lava flows that have swept away everything in their path, or the less touristy, remote eastern coast.
Day 14: To São Jorge
Departure from Madalena or São Roque (Cais do Pico) for São Jorge. Arrive in Velas and explore the small town. Visit the Sete Fontes park, near Rosais. Walk to the lighthouse if possible.
Day 15: South coast of São Jorge
Visit the Senhora da Encarnaço craft cooperative in Ribeira do Nabo, then the Lourais cheese factory in Riberira Seca. Photo stops along the fajã route, and a stop at Café Nunes in Fajã dos Vimes. Depending on how much time you have left, push on to Topo or return directly to Velas.
Day 16: North coast of São Jorge and its fajãs
Not to be missed: Fajã do Ouvidor, Fajã dos Cubres and Fajã da Caldeira de Santo Cristo, one of the most inaccessible. Only walkers will be able to reach it: superb panoramas guaranteed.
Day 17: Back to Faial
Steps: Horta
Last stroll on São Jorge before returning to . Final strolls along the legendary pier of the marina and the Peter Cafe Sport, an equally legendary institution.
Day 18: To Flores
Arrival in the western Azores. Discover the Morro Alto mountain. This is ' highest point, a majestic place where nature reigns supreme. The view from here is panoramic.
Day 19: The lakes of Flores
Steps: Lagoa
The Lagoa Negra, Comprida and Branca, as well as the Funda and Rasa, are natural wonders not to be missed. As for the Poço da Alagoinha, it is one of the most famous landscapes of the island, and rightly so.
Day 20: Waterfalls
Steps: Fajãzinha
There are around twenty of them between and Ponta da Fajã; they are the pride of the island and contribute to its reputation for lushness.
Day 21: Corvo
Discover , a small rock lost in the Atlantic. Visit the caldeirão: an imposing crater in Monte Gordo. It's the island's major attraction. It is home to two superb lakes.
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