Porto and Sao Miguel Island Hopping Holiday

If you’re thinking of combining mainland Portugal and the Azores, the cities of Porto and Sao Miguel are one of our favourite combinations.

As one Europe’s oldest cities, the northern metropolis of Porto has a long history, stretching back to before the creation of Portugal itself. The Romans named it Portus Cale, and they recognised its importance as a gateway to the Atlantic Ocean – that still runs true today, with over seven million cases of the city’s most famous export, port wine, being shipped across the globe each year from the riverfront lodges of Vila Nova da Gaia. You’ll have a chance to explore Porto’s wine-making heritage and it’s revered regional cuisine – the two are inextricably linked, as you’ll learn on a guided food tour of the city’s culinary landmarks. You’ll also travel by train into the remote Douro Valley – to the faraway vineyards of the Alto Corgo, where port wine begins its long journey from grape to glass.

The Azorean island of Sao Miguel is equally remote – separated by 1500km of ocean from Porto and the rest of mainland Portugal. You’ll feel a change in the air from the moment you arrive in Ponta Delgada – a palpable switch from the energetic bustle of big city living in Porto, to the easy-going, relaxed tempo of Azorean island life. Sao Miguelians move with the ebb and flow of the surrounding sea – it holds sway over their seasonal cuisine; another change you’ll can’t help but notice. They’re also at one with the land – whether it’s farming the green pastures of Capelas, harnessing the geothermal potential of the Agua de Pau stratovolcano, or relaxing in the iron-rich pools of the Furnas Valley.

Ponta Delgada may be the capital city of the Azores, but it has the feel of a small, amiable town where everyone’s welcome. To the west, the vast volcanic crater at Sete Cidades is one of the unknown wonders of Europe – our guides provide an invaluable insight into the geological process which continue to influence this impressive landscape. To the east, the semi-tropical botanical gardens and therapeutic hot springs of the Parque Terra Nostra in Furnas are as popular today as they were in the mid-1800s, when ailing Britons made their winter pilgrimages to Sao Miguel, hoping to sooth their various aches and pains. The intense heat of the cozido cooking holes on the shores of Lagoa das Furnas has been slow-roasting this famous Azorean stew for just as long – your trip ends as it began: sampling authentic, local cuisine in the place it was born.