Azores: the Emerald Isles

Looking out your plane window, you’ll realise how remote the Azores actually are: a handful of specks in the Atlantic, surrounded by nothing but ocean for hours. You’ll touch down on São Miguel, the largest of these exotic isles, where a Flash Pack transfer will be waiting to transport you to your boutique hotel in Ponta Delgada, the regional capital. Here, you’ll meet your group and Pack Leader for a welcome drink before heading out for dinner at a local restaurant. Get to know your fellow Flashpackers over a traditional three-course meal and raise a glass of aromatic island wine to your week of adventure to come.  

Wake up to sunshine and sea breezes as you prepare for your first activity: a local-led island cooking class. Blessed with a subtropical climate, fertile volcanic soil and oceans rich in marine life, São Miguel has a thriving culinary scene, shaped by the elements. From tangy matured cheese to wines made from grapes grown on ancient lava flows, you’ll cook up an island feast under the guidance of a local expert. After lunch, you’ll return to Ponta Delgada for a walking tour of the city. Stroll through the mosaic cobbled streets, lined with white and black basalt buildings, and discover how this tiny town grew from a staging post between Europe and the New World. 

Today, you’ll discover why Sao Miguel is nicknamed Ilha Verde (Green Island), as you set out to explore its extraordinary interior. Your first stop is the Pico do Carvao viewpoint for a panoramic vista over the entire west of the island. Set within a steeply forested caldera are the stunning twin lagoons of Sete Cidades, one sparkling blue, the other vivid green. You’ll kayak on the serene waters before lunch at the lakeside village. This afternoon, you’ll visit a unique pineapple greenhouse. Introduced from Brazil in the 19th century, the tropical fruits are small, juicy and packed with sweetness – perfect for creating the island’s Ezequiel liqueur.   

Start your day by visiting a goat farm in the island’s hinterland, where you’ll learn how the animals are cared for and try your hand at milking (or cuddling the baby goats) before being treated to a typical local brunch: think crusty bread, fresh goat’s cheese and delicious fruit spreads. Continuing along the mountain road, you’ll wind your way to the coast for a whale-watching excursion. Slap bang in the middle of a migratory route between the northern and southern hemispheres, the Azores are visited by 24 species of cetaceans. Keep your eyes peeled for deep-water species like sperm whales, as well as pilot whales and pods of playful dolphins.   

Travelling along the south coast, you’ll stop briefly at Franca do Campo, the first capital of the island, to taste the famous Vila Franca pastry, before venturing inland to the 18th-century Terra Nostra estate. A botanical wonderland of lakes, winding paths, exotic flowers and centuries-old trees, you’ll indulge in a meditation and floating experience in the steamy mineral-rich pool. Feeling zen, your next stop is the nearby town of Furnas, located in the valley of a volcano. Set around a pale green lake, fringed with bubbling mud pools, the earth here is so hot, locals slow-cook a stew called Cozido das Calderas a metre underground. Note the uniquely sulphuric flavour as you sample it for lunch.      

Today you’ll explore the rural east of the island starting in Vila da Povoação, the first village to be populated when Portuguese sailors discovered the island (Povoação means ‘village’). You’ll be treated to heart-stopping views at the Ponta da Madrugada and Ponta do Sessego before lunch at a local restaurant. Later, you’ll visit the Ribeira dos Caldeirões natural park, an area of protected forest thick with lush vegetation. Take a walk along the river, past tree ferns and hydrangeas, to discover waterfalls and five old water mills dating back to the 16th century. 

It’s your last full day on the island and time to start making your way back to Punta Delgada. En route, you’ll explore Europe’s only tea plantation, high up in the hills. Little changed since it opened in 1883,  the Gorreana Factory has been run by the same family for five generations. You’ll discover how the organic green and black teas are combined with other plants and fragrances to create a distinct, exotic flavours – which you’ll get to sample in a private tasting. Soak up the neatly manicured rows of tea plants and the flower-filled valleys beyond, before arriving back at your hotel in time for your final farewell dinner.  

After breakfast, your Azorean adventure has come to an end. It’s time to make your own way to the airport for your onward flight. If eight days on the islands have gone too fast, why not combine this trip with our mainland Portugal trip? Our Flash Pack travel experts are ready and waiting for your call.