Overview

Our Sao Miguel guided walking holiday is the best way to explore the Azores on foot.

Spend a week walking the main island’s iconic trails and idyllic landscapes. Being the largest island, Sao Miguel has the greatest variety of trails, and exploring them with our resident English-speaking guides will give you an added insight into the plantlife, wildlife, history and geology of this beautiful island.

We suggest six guided walks during this trip – but if you prefer a day relaxing, just let us know; we specialise in tailor-made holidays and can personalise your stay. We also offer a choice of accommodation – staying at the Hotel do Colegio in the heart of the capital city Ponta Delgada means you’ll have the island’s best restaurants and cafebars right on your doorstep. If you’d prefer a more peaceful, rural location the clifftop Caloura Hotel Resort is one of our favourite seaview hotels.

Itinerary

You'll begin your holiday by flying to the main Azores island of Sao Miguel.
For your first guided walk, you'll follow the Sanguinho trail (approximate walking time 2-3 hours, walk distance 4.5km, grade: moderate) - a circular walk which begins and ends south coast village of Faial de Terra. You’ll follow the old cobbled trail up the steep valley to the once-deserted village of Sanguinho and the beautiful waterfall of ‘Salto do Prego’.
Walk number two takes you up to the summit of Pico da Vara (approximate walking time 5 hours; walk distance 8km. Grade: Moderate to Hard). At 1103m, this is the highest point on Sao Miguel – and weather-permitting, you’ll have a magnificent view along the full length of the island, and south across the sea to the neighbouring island of Santa Maria.
Today’s walk follows the Rotas da Agua trail (approximate walking time: 3-4 hours, walk distance: 13km, grade: moderate) across the southern flanks of Fogo Volcano, following the maze of tunnels and aqueducts that supply spring water to the town of Lagoa.
One of the islands most popular walks follows the Lagoa do Fogo trail (approximate walking time 4.5-5 hours; walk distance 12km. Grade: Moderate). Lagoa do Fogo sits in the youngest of Sao Miguel’s volcanoes – the trail follows a levada from the south coast, up through the dense cedar forest to the lakeshore at 600m.
Today begins with a half-day day walk along the Ribeira Funda trail (approximate walking time 3-3.5 hours; walk distance 8km. Grade: Moderate) – from Lomba da Maia on the north coast to the beach at Praia da Viola. There’s a break from the trails in the afternoon – you’ll visit the Gorreana tea plantation, Europe's oldest producer of tea (established in 1883), the geysers and hot springs in Furnas, and the shores of Lagoa das Furnas.
One of our favourite walks in the Azores: you’ll head west today to walk the Cumeeiras trail (approximate walking time 4 hours; walk distance 12km. Grade: Moderate). The walk follows the northern rim of the Sete Cidades Volcano - the largest caldera on the island.
You'll be transferred to the airport for your flight home.

From £2100 pp

We can create a tailor-made holiday to suit your budget.

INCLUDED: international flights, accommodation in twin/double en-suite rooms on a B&B basis, return airport transfers, five full-day guided walks and one half-day guided walk, followed by a half-day tour of Furnas.

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