2025-07-14 Azores-001 Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal

<<< Summary >>>

The Azores are serene, eco-friendly with less modern development, and less tourism than other popular European vacation spots. With secluded locations and a more relaxed, slower pace, the Azores are a more preferable choice for nature lovers and adventurists.

Azores are mostly a nature journey, and probably one of the best eco-tourism destinations in Europe. Besides tourism, the economy of the Azores is almost entirely agriculture and fishing.

The Azores have been consecutively named as one of the top sustainable destinations worldwide. Of the islands that make up the Azores archipelago, São Miguel is the largest island where the capital Ponta Delgada is located. Its pristine natural beauty and lush vegetation have earned it the nickname “the Hawaii of Europe.”  São Miguel has a size of 293 SqMile. In comparison to Oahu measured at 597 SqMile.

This is a 12-day and 10-night adventure on the beautiful São Miguel of the Portuguese Azores Islands.

Weather of São Miguel, Azores

Photos of São Miguel, Azores (1)

Photos of São Miguel, Azores (2)

More info of São Miguel, Azores

More info of Azores

<<< Logistics >>>

There are 10 nights of lodging to be booked by you.

10-night lodging in São Miguel: check in 7/15 (Tue), check out 7/25 (Fri)

Note: Ponta Delgada, the capital of Azores Islands on São Miguel, is an excellent choice of home base. Ponta Delgada has the most lodging and restaurant selection on the island.

<<< Meeting Place and Time >>>

The meeting place and time will be provided to the trip participants.

<<< Logistics >>>

We’ll meet first thing in the morning at various locations or trailheads. I’ll set up a group chat in WhatsApp to communicate our daily meeting place and meeting time.

<<< Itinerary >>>

This itinerary is designed for shorter hiking and more free time to enjoy many other interesting attractions and activities in the area. More itinerary details will be provided to the trip participants.

Even July is the driest month with minimum precipitation of only 0.2 inches on average in the area; shower or foggy day is unlikely but still possible. Therefore this itinerary has built in enough free days for any hiking day replacement in order to safeguard the best possible hiking experience. Abundant free days also safeguard and promote a more relax pace for our vacation.

Day01 (Mon) 2025-07-14

Take a flight to Ponta Delgada (PDL), São Miguel, Azores, Portugal.

Day02 (Tue) 7/15

Check in your lodging. Tour around on your own for sightseeing, shopping, and dining, etc. Xitaka/ Restaurant; Gastrónomo/ Restaurant; Restaurante Bom Pesqueiro; Mercado da Graça/ OpenMarket; SOL*MAR São Goncalo/ SuperMarket;

Day03 (Wed) 7/16 [hike1]

This is an easy hike with moderate elevation. We'll start late today to make sure everyone has good acclimation on the island. We'll trek on a scenic coastal trail with beautiful ocean views. We'll take our lunch at a local restaurant on the beach. After hiking we’ll head for a tasty visit to the historic Arruda Pineapple Farm, Plantação Ananases A Arruda. (D2, 5 miles, 800 feet ascent)

Day04 (Thu) 7/17 [hike2]

Today is our time to experience the worldwide famous Sete Cidades and its extreme beauty. Prepare for the magical feeling of being right inside an ancient volcano. The trekking around the enchanting twin lakes is nothing short of spectacular, providing breathtaking views and a true sense of adventure. This is an unforgettable iconic wonder. (D5, 13 miles, 2500 feet ascent)

Day05 (Fri) 7/18 Free day 1

Activity suggestion: Self driving tour or anything else you like to do.

Miradouro do Pico do Carvão; Miradouro da Boca do Inferno;

West Region: Mosteiros/town; O Américo de Barbosa/Restaurant usually full; Miradouro da Ponta do Escalvado; A Porta do Diabo; Piscina natural da Sofia/Natural swimming pool; Ponta da Ferraria/Ocean thermal baths; Farol da Ferraria/Lighthouse;

Day06 (Sat) 7/19 [hike3]

We'll discover the stunning Lagoa do Fogo, or the "Lagoon of Fire." Our path will traverse a great variety of native and prevalent vegetation offering unique and wonderful perspective of the volcanic lake, and the ruins of a local flax factory. Due to its popularity among visitors, we'll have to start early today to avoid waiting in line for taking a mandatory paid bus ride. (D4, 7 miles, 1900 feet ascent)

Day07 (Sun) 7/20 Free day 2

Activity suggestion: Self driving tour or anything else you like to do.

Central Region: Historic town Ribeira Grande; Casa de Pasto Flor/Restaurant; Miradouro do Palheiro; Miradouro do Cintrão; Miradouro de Santa Iria; Miradouro do Furado; Praia dos Moinhos/beach;

Porto Formoso/town; Casa de Pasto - o Amaral/Restaurant; Sao Bras/town; Restaurante Cantinho Do Cais; Cafe & Bar Alfredo;

Islet of Vila Franca do Campo, an extraordinary volcanic crater rising from the sea. Check ocean tide schedule for the best time to visit. Ticket is required. Online tickets available.

Day08 (Mon) 7/21 [hike4]

Moinho do Félix and Gorreana Tea Plantation

Our hike today is called Moinho do Félix or Felix’s Watermill. We’ll start on a dirt trail and descend towards the ocean, stopping to admire the stunning views before reaching the Cascata do Homem (Man waterfall) and the ancient ruins of a watermill which once milled grain to produce flour. After hiking we'll have our lunch at a local restaurant in Porto Formoso / Sao Bras area. After lunch we'll visit Chà Gorreana, the Gorreana tea plantation. We'll also hike the tea plantation fields to get the first-hand experience in this unique and the only tea plantations area in Europe. (D4, 8 miles, 1800 feet ascent)

Day09 (Tue) 7/22 Free day 3

Activity suggestion: Self driving tour or anything else you like to do.

East Region: Parque Natural da Ribeira dos Caldeirões; Miradouro da Ribeira dos Caldeirões; Cascata da Ribeira dos Caldeirões; Miradouro da Vigia das Baleias; Miradouro da Despe-te Que Suas; Miradouro da Borda da Ladeira;

Nordeste: a north-eastern municipality, well known for an abundance of natural vegetation and the highest point on the island.

Elias Snack Bar; Restaurante Tronqueira; Farol do Arnel/Lighthouse; Miradouro Ponta do Sossego; Miradouro Ponta da Madrugada;

Many well-known Hot Springs: Poca Dona Beija; Terra Nostra Park; Octant Furnas/upscale; Caldeira Velha; and a unique ocean hot springs, Ponta da Ferraria, check ocean tide schedule for ideal water level and temperature.

Day10 (Wed) 7/23 [hike5]

We'll hike around the Lagoa das Furnas, a lake of volcanic origin, taking us through one of the most impressive areas of countryside on the island. Our trail will lead us along the lake edge and through forest before arriving at Capela de Nossa Senhora das Vitórias church.

Cozido das Furnas is possibly the most unique dish of Portugal. It can only be found in Furnas on São Miguel of the Azores islands. This special hearty stew is slow-cooked underground by volcanic heat. We'll have our best Cozido lunch at Terra Nostra Garden Restaurant. After lunch we'll walk Parque Terra Nostra and its massive hot spring pool. Park entrance fee is included in our lunch deal making it a wonderful eating and hiking day. (D3, 10 miles, 1000 feet ascent)

Day11 (Thu) 7/24 Tour day

Whale & Dolphin Watching on a half-day boat tour starting in Vila Franca do Campo. Ticket for the boat tour is approx. 70 euro. We'll have the chance to view a variety of dolphin species, sea turtles, whales and more. Spring is prime whale watching season in the Azores, with blue whales, fin whales and Sei whales migrating through the region. Sperm whales are local and seen all year round. After the boat tour we'll have our lunch at a local restaurant by the harbor.

Day12 (Fri) 7/25

Our group adventure ends today. You may choose to pack up and go home from here, or continue additional travel following your own plan.

<<< Difficulty Level >>>

Our event will be at the AOC D5 difficulty level. The continuous nature of daily hiking and free day activity adds another layer of difficulty which requires full preparation and training before taking this trip.

<<< How to prepare >>>

We all have to be physically prepared and trained well before taking on such an epic trip. Best physical conditions enable us to take in everything surrounding us and fully enjoy the amazing natural beauty rather than being out of breath and feeling tired every time going uphill. We must do fitness training a couple of times a week for a minimum 6 to 9 months, and also hiking the steepest mountain hills available to us. My favorite is Kennesaw Mt. which is local, beautiful, and very convenient.

Following guide books are excellent resources for the preparation of Azores trip.

DK Eyewitness Top 10 Azores (Pocket Travel Guide) Paperback.

Walking on the Azores: 70 Routes across Sao Miguel, Santa Maria, Terceria, Graciosa, Sao Jorge, Pico, Faial, Flores and Corvo (Cicerone Walking Guides) Paperback.

Azores Tour & Trail Super-Durable Map Map.

<<< How to get there >>>

Take a flight to Ponta Delgada (PDL), São Miguel, Azores, Portugal and arrive on the next day local time. Direct flights are available from several US cities.

<<< How to sign up >>>

This web page is designed so that you can only put yourself on the waiting list. Once you’re verified to be suitable for this trip, you will be moved to the participant list.

<<< How to qualify >>>

Group will be selected by:

History of social compatibility in the AOC group setting

History of participation in the AOC events

You can comfortably finish a Kennesaw 10 hike in 4.5 hours; or personally I know your hiking ability and fitness condition is qualified.

You must have a rental car, or you’ll be disqualified to participate.

A non-refundable AOC Service Fee $25 required by AOC.

If you miss the payment date, you will be removed from the list.

The payment of $25 only covers AOC Service Fee. All costs (transportation, lodging, meals & drinks, and etc.) are paid by members on their own. All costs are non-refundable.

Itinerary is subject to change at the discretion of the trip leader.

Transportation

Everyone is responsible for his/her own transportation the entire trip, i.e. flights, rental cars, and/or other local transportation.

<<< Important Note on rental car >>>

U.S. citizens who plan to drive in Portugal must obtain an International Driving Permit (IDP) prior to their arrival. There is only one provider for IDP in the United States, the American Automobile Association (AAA). You can apply either in person or by mail. There is a $20 fee. The IDP may not be issued more than six months in advance of desired effective date and is valid for one year.

Rental cars with automatic transmission are rarer and often more expensive, so early booking is essential to ensure availability and to accommodate your budget considerations.

If you cannot or do not want to drive manual transmission cars (stick shift), and you can only (or want to) drive automatic transmission cars, you must book your rental car as early as possible. The majority of the rental cars in Azores are manual transmission. Most of them offer free cancellation until a few days before.

Typical auto insurance policies in US cover rental cars in the US and Canada. You will need to buy rental car insurance from the rental car company when you rent a car outside of US and Canada. Car insurance is offered as an add-on option when renting a car in Azores, and the cost is very nominal.

The most popular location for rental cars is Ponta Delgada airport (PDL). It is very close to Ponta Delgada town center.

Lodging

There are plenty of lodging options to choose from. VRBO, Airbnb, Booking.com, Hotels.com, Expidia.com are popular sites among many others to compare, search, and book for lodging.

I will set up a group chat in WhatsApp for our group conversation once our roster is set. You can use it to facilitate sharing lodging and rental car conversations.

Weather

Our vacation trip is an AOC paid event.

There is a non-refundable AOC Service Fee $25 required to pay to AOC by yourself.

As far as I know this is the only reliable income source for our club that we all enjoy to be one of its members. I am in full support of this requirement. 

Personally I see it as an opportunistic donation to support our club.

I hope everyone is very happy to contribute even if you had to cancel later on for whatever reason it may be.

When you login to your AOC account, there is a payment tag for you to make payment to AOC.

If you miss the payment date, you will be removed from the list.

There is no refund for cancellation.

There is no refund for cancellation.