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The turquoise crater lake of Lagoa do Fogo between green mountain slopes on São Miguel in the Azores

Sample journey · 9–11 days

The Azores: crater lakes, whales and island walks

São Miguel, Pico, São Jorge & Faial

Photo: Anna Jewels / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

The Azores look as though someone took Ireland's green, Iceland's volcanoes and Portugal's cooking and set them loose in the middle of the Atlantic. Hydrangea hedges divide the pastures, lakes lie in the floors of craters, waves break on coastal lava, and whales and dolphins live and pass through the ocean around the islands. The weather changes several times a day, and that's exactly what makes the light here so alive.

This sample route links four islands: São Miguel with Sete Cidades and Furnas; Pico with its volcanic summit and vineyards in the lava fields; São Jorge with its fajãs, flat shelves of land beneath sheer cliffs; and the sailors' town of Horta on Faial. You travel between them by small plane and ferry, with two or three nights on each. It suits active couples and nature lovers who want to walk, get out on the water and eat well, with no hurry at all.

The route

The journey

  1. Ponta Delgada & Sete Cidades
  2. Furnas
  3. Pico
  4. São Jorge
  5. Horta (Faial)
  1. Cloud rolling over the crater lakes and green pastures of Sete Cidades on São Miguel

    01Days 1–3 · São Miguel: Ponta Delgada & Sete Cidades

    Two lakes in one crater

    On arrival, Ponta Delgada, a harbour town of black basalt and white walls, and a first dinner: seafood, local cheese and pineapples from the island's glasshouses. The next day, west to the crater of Sete Cidades, with two lakes lying in its floor; a path along the rim shows them from above, and below you can dip your feet in the water. On the third day, Lagoa do Fogo, a mountain lake in the island's heart, and the tea plantations of the north coast.

  2. From above: steaming hot springs and mineral-stained ground in Furnas, São Miguel

    02Days 4–5 · São Miguel: Furnas

    Lunch cooked in the earth

    In the Furnas valley the ground simply steams: hot springs bubble in the middle of the village, and on the lakeshore locals bury pots of meat and vegetables in the morning to cook for hours in the volcanic heat. In the afternoon, a swim in the iron-tinted warm pool of an old botanical garden; in the evening, another soak in hot springs deep in the woods. A night in the valley lets you see the steam over the lake in the morning, while it's still quiet.

  3. The cone of Mount Pico above lava-stone-walled vineyards and a red windmill on Pico island

    03Days 6–8 · Pico

    A volcano, vineyards and whales

    A short flight to Pico, an island almost entirely taken up by a 2,351-metre volcano, Portugal's highest summit. For those who are prepared, the guided climb takes around seven to eight hours: steep, rocky and demanding, but on a clear day the neighbouring islands lie spread below. Another day is for the ocean: whale watching with a licensed boat from Lajes do Pico, an old whaling village where whales are now only watched. In the evenings, walks among UNESCO-listed vineyards walled with black lava stone, and a glass of the local wine.

  4. White houses and terraced gardens on a fajã beneath a steep green cliff on São Jorge

    04Days 9–10 · São Jorge

    Life beneath the cliffs

    By ferry across a narrow channel to São Jorge, a long, thin island of steep slopes with fajãs clinging to the sea at their foot: flat strips of land with a few houses, gardens and coffee bushes. The footpath from the mountain ridge down to Fajã da Caldeira de Santo Cristo is one of the finest days of the journey: about two to three hours downhill through woods and meadows to a lagoon with no road to it at all. The island's cheese, aged for months, is a must at lunch.

  5. The rooftops and harbour of Horta on Faial, with the cone of Mount Pico across the channel

    05Day 11 · Faial: Horta

    The sailors' harbour

    A last ferry to Horta on Faial, where yachts crossing the Atlantic stop to rest and their crews paint colourful murals on the harbour walls for luck. A gin and tonic in the legendary sailors' bar, a walk to the crater or the volcanic landscape of Capelinhos, and a last look at Pico's cone across the channel. You leave through Horta's airport or, if the connections suit better, back via Ponta Delgada.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Sete Cidades from the rim

    Two lakes in a crater floor, green pastures and cloud sliding over the rim.

  2. 02

    The climb up Pico

    Portugal's highest summit: with a guide, good fitness and a little luck with the weather.

  3. 03

    Whales in the Atlantic

    A licensed boat out of an old whaling village; sightings always depend on nature.

  4. 04

    Down to a fajã

    A path from São Jorge's ridge to a lagoon that no road reaches.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • Without the climb

    Instead of Pico's summit, easier coastal paths and vineyard walks, with the spare day for the ocean.

  • More time on the water

    Swimming with dolphins from a licensed boat when conditions suit, coastal kayaking or diving off Pico.

  • With Lisbon

    Two or three nights in Lisbon on the way: a contrast between the Alfama's lanes and the islands' quiet.

  • In less time

    With a week, we'd suggest two islands, São Miguel and Pico, rather than four.

Practical considerations

  • The best time is roughly May to September, when inter-island ferries run more often, it's warmer and the sea is calmer. The weather changes quickly at any time of year, so we leave room in the plan.
  • Ferries between the central islands run more often in summer and less out of season; local flights and ferries can be delayed by wind or fog.
  • Climbing Pico requires registration and good fitness; it's a long, steep, rocky day that depends on the weather.
  • Whale watching is done with licensed boats; sightings are never guaranteed, though the waters around the islands are known for them.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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