Areas
Island by island, in their own character.
Nine islands, three groups, one archipelago that rewards choosing carefully instead of seeing everything.
Eastern group · The green island
São Miguel
The largest island and the easiest to fall for: crater lakes, tea plantations, a volcanic valley that cooks lunch underground, and a coastline that changes character every twenty minutes of driving. A week here is not too long.
Experiences & activities
- Sete Cidades and Lagoa do Fogo at first light
- Furnas: thermal gardens, cozido and iron-rich springs
- Europe's only tea plantations at Gorreana
- Whale and dolphin watching from Ponta Delgada
- Ferraria: swimming where hot springs meet the ocean
Central group · The volcano and the harbour
Pico & Faial
Two islands separated by a short channel and best travelled as one. Pico is lava, wine and the highest mountain in Portugal. Faial is the sailors' harbour, the blue hydrangeas and the ash desert left by the 1957 volcano.
Experiences & activities
- UNESCO lava-walled vineyards and cellar tastings
- Climbing Pico, or watching it from the Faial side
- Whale watching in one of the Atlantic's richest channels
- Peter Café Sport and the painted marina of Horta
- Capelinhos volcano and its buried lighthouse
Central group · The historic island
Terceira
Angra do Heroísmo is a UNESCO world heritage town of coloured façades and Atlantic history, and the island around it is farmland, lava caves and natural pools. The most sociable of the nine.
Experiences & activities
- Angra do Heroísmo old town and its harbour fort
- Algar do Carvão: descending into a volcanic chimney
- Biscoitos natural pools and vineyards
- Imperial chapels and island festivals in summer
- Local wine, cheese and beef producers
Western group · The far islands
Flores & Corvo
The westernmost land in Europe. Flores is waterfalls, crater lakes and vertical green; Corvo is a single crater with a village inside it. Travel here requires patience with the weather, and repays it.
Experiences & activities
- Poço da Ribeira do Ferreiro and the waterfall walls
- Rocha dos Bordões basalt formations
- Boat crossing to Corvo and the Caldeirão crater
- Coastal hiking above Fajã Grande
- Some of the darkest night skies in Europe
Eastern group · The sun island
Santa Maria
The oldest and driest island, with the only golden-sand beaches in the archipelago, red desert cliffs and a slower, warmer temperament. The place to end a journey.
Experiences & activities
- Praia Formosa and quiet swimming bays
- Barreiro da Faneca red desert landscape
- Baía de São Lourenço vineyard amphitheatre
- Diving and snorkelling in unusually clear water
- Sunset walks above Anjos
Not sure which islands are yours?
Tell us how long you have and what you enjoy. We will suggest a route that fits the season you are travelling in.