Azores Santa Maria & São Miguel
Self-guided walking holidays in Santa Maria and São Miguel | Hotels, local flights, and transfers | 6 walks | Difficulty: ▲▲△△△
Azores Santa Maria & São Miguel
Azores Santa Maria & São Miguel
2 islands | 6 walks
▸ Includes 7 nights in 2 small charming hotels, bed and breakfast basis.
▸ 6 walks through the most spectacular trails of Azores Santa Maria and São Miguel.
▸ All necessary transfers, by private vehicle.
▸ Flights between the 2 islands of São Miguel and Santa Maria.
Customised app
Offline GPS navigation
Relevant information
3 walks in Saõ Miguel | 3 walks in Santa Maria
One-week trip
local flights between 2 islands
prived transfers included to/from your accommodation
Waymarked trails + GPX tracking files
in 2 small charming hotels:
◇ STANDARD OPTION
Hotel Canadiano *** (Ponta Delgada)
Hotel Colombo **** (Vila do Porto)
◆ UPGRADE OPTION
Hotel São Miguel Park **** (Ponta Delgada)
Hotel Charming Blue **** (Vila do Porto)
transfers
Taxi transfers to each walk, and return to the hotel.
accommodation
small charming hotels in strategic locations, with breakfast included.
local flight
20 minutes air connection between the 2 Azores islands
6 walks
of approx. 7 ~14 km each, to discover São Miguel & Santa Maria.
STAGES AND ACCOMMODATION:
Arrival in Ponta Delgada | SÃO MIGUEL
Sete Cidades | SÃO MIGUEL
Lagoa das Furnas ▸ Pico do Gaspar | flight to SANTA MARIA
Pico Alto ▸ Ermita dos Anjos | SANTA MARIA
Santa Bárbara ▸São Lourenço | SANTA MARIA
Santo Espírito ▸ Maia | flight to SÃO MIGUEL
Lagoa do Fogo▸Praia Agua d'Alto
departure day
DIFFICULTY LEVEL
This trip is for you if you usually do sports and have a good physical background; if you can walk steep slopes up and down and don’t have health problems; if you love nature, are environmentally friendly and are a regular hiker.
See more details in:
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Highlights of the trip:
2 exuberant islands: São Miguel and Santa Maria
Walks on the most picturesque enclaves
Charming accommodation – genuine atmosphere
Azores Santa Maria and São Miguel, 2 exuberant islands
Azores Santa Maria, the southernmost island in the archipelago, is known for its warm climate and abundant sunshine. The island’s landscape features rolling hills, fertile plains, and striking cliffs.
Unlike many of the other islands in the Azores, Santa Maria is renowned for its white sandy beaches, such as Praia Formosa, offering fine sand and crystal-clear waters.
Anjos: A picturesque village in Azores Santa Maria, home to a natural swimming pool and a statue of Christopher Columbus, who stopped here on his return from the Americas.
Pico Alto: The highest point on Azores Santa Maria, providing breathtaking panoramic views of the entire island.
Barreiro da Faneca: Known as the Red Desert, this area in Azores Santa Maria features a unique red clay landscape.
São Lourenço Bay: Famous for its terraced vineyards that cascade down to the sea, creating a stunning view unique to Azores Santa Maria.
São Miguel, the largest island in the Azores, is often referred to as the “Green Island” due to its lush and verdant landscapes. It boasts volcanic craters, scenic lakes, and soothing hot springs.
The diverse terrain includes rugged mountains in the west and gently rolling hills and fertile plains in the east.
Sete Cidades: A stunning twin lake set in the crater of a dormant volcano, one of the lakes has green water and the other one, blue, providing some of the most iconic views in the Azores.
Lagoa do Fogo: A pristine lake located in the heart of São Miguel, surrounded by steep hills and lush greenery, ideal for hiking and nature enthusiasts.
Furnas Valley: Known for its geothermal activity, including hot springs, fumaroles, and the Terra Nostra Park, which features a thermal pool and botanical gardens.
Ponta Delgada: The largest city on São Miguel and the administrative capital of the Azores, offering historical architecture, lively markets, and vibrant nightlife.
The nights on the island have a magic of their own. Under a star-studded sky, the silence is palpable, broken only by the distant song of a night bird or the rustle of the wind in the trees. It is a place where time seems to stand still, where the soul can find a deep and renewing peace.
The Azores Santa Maria is not just an island; it is a living poem, an ode to natural beauty and serenity, a corner of the world where every sunrise and sunset paints a unique and ephemeral picture on the horizon of the soul.
The islands of São Miguel and Santa Maria are a poem made islands, a masterpiece of creation where every element, from the smallest flower to the towering volcano, contributes to a perfect harmony. They are islands where the traveller will find beauty around every corner, a haven for the soul and a feast for the senses.
Canary Islands: similar itineraries
self-guided ► hotel + breakfast included
self-guided ► hotel + breakfast included
8 days - INDEPENDENT hiking trip
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Destination
Our gallery
Pictures from the 6 tours
Day 1
Arrival in Ponta Delgada | SÃO MIGUEL
Airport pick up and transfer to hotel in Ponta Delgada.
Informative video call to explain all the details of the routes.
Day 2
Sete Cidades | SÃO MIGUEL
Sete Cidades is undoubtedly the crown jewel of the island of São Miguel. It is a collection of ancient volcanic craters whose sedimentary bed is home to spectacular lakes. Around it are the villages that give the unique enclave its name.
↔ 13,2 km | △ 346 m | ▽ 626 m
Day 3
Lagoa das Furnas ▸ Pico do Gaspar | a SANTA MARIA
↔ 11,3 km | △ 273 m | ▽ 273 m
Day 4
Pico Alto▸Ermita dos Anjos | SANTA MARIA
After breakfast our driver will take you to the Pico Alto, almost 600 metres above sea level, the highest point of Santa Maria from where you have a superb view over the whole island.
↔ 12,9 km | △ 189 m | ▽ 751 m
Day 5
Santa Bárbara ▸São Lourenço | SANTA MARIA
From the village of Santa Bárbara, in the east of the island, the circular route starts towards the Bay of São Lourenço, through different viewpoints. ↔ 10,1 km | △ 314 m | ▽ 314 m
Day 6
Santo Espírito ▸Maia | a SÃO MIGUEL
Today's tour starts in the village of Santo Espírito and ends at the old lighthouse at the southeast end of Santa Maria. A beautiful but demanding route, which allows to leave the island in the last flight of the afternoon.
↔ 6,8 km | △ 257 m | ▽ 257 m
Day 7
Lagoa do Fogo▸Praia Agua d'Alto
After a short transfer we start the route to Lagoa do Fogo, one of the wildest spots in the Azores. Framed within a protected natural area, the route takes us through a "levada" (water channel) to an altitude of 575 metres above sea level. ↔ 12,9 km | △ 444 m | ▽ 627 m
Day 8
Departure
Transfer to the airport for departure. Depending on the time of your flight, you will still have time to wander through the narrow streets of Ponta Delgada or go on a whale watching excursion.TOUR LOCATION
Discover the islands of São Miguel and Santa Maria, in a week of hiking. Outrageously green islands with rolling hills, active volcanoes and wild lagoons.
ACCOMMODATION
Subject to availability:
◇ STANDARD OPTION | days 1, 2, 6 & 7
PONTA DELGADA ▸ Hotel Canadiano *** (or similar)
◇ STANDARD OPTION | days 3, 4 & 5
VILA DO PORTO ▸ Hotel Colombo **** (or similar)
◆ UPGRADE OPTION | days 1, 2, 6 & 7
PONTA DELGADA ▸ Hotel São Miguel Park **** (or similar)
◆ UPGRADE OPTION | days 3, 4 & 5
VILA DO PORTO ▸ Hotel Charming Blue **** (or similar)
Additional overnights
It is also possible to book some additional days, before or after the hiking week, or an additional week to relax.
Difficulty
To successfully achieve the 6 walks it is necessary a good physical condition, a healthy condition and steady walk and. According to the year season, temperatures can be extreme (hot and/or cold). Therefore, it is necessary to have suitable warm clothes permanently, to be removed as layers if necessary. Some parts of this trail include passages with slippery loose stone. Using hiking poles is highly recommended.
Trails
Azores has a well signposted network of trails. All sections where from our tours are perfectly marked. You will get from us precise indications of each route and assistance from the hotline on your walks.
We recommend
Appropriate hiking clothing and sturdy footwear. During the tours, it is necessary to have food and drink enough, as well as sun protection, a cap, wind jacket and, in the winter months, warm clothing.
Luggage transfer
We move your luggage from one accommodation to next, so on your hikes you should only carry a backpack with the essentials of the day. For the whole trip, it is recommendable to use a single suitcase, not bigger than 20 kg.
You can book at any date!
fly to Ponta Delgada
other options to think about
The Portuguese airline TAP also connects some UK airports with PONTA DELGADA. It is worth comparing prices and analysing all the possibilities 😉
Alberto
Responsable de organización
Do you have any questions? I am happy to help you. I will answer any questions you may have!
Book early!! ...and get a 6% discount for bookings made more than 90 days before the arrival date.
PRICES:
◇ STANDARD OPTION
1380 € ▸ 1295 € per person in double/twin room (2 persons)
| Single Suplement (room for single use)
(...and 3rd person): + 635 €
Solo Traveller (1 person): 2085 € ▸ 1960 €
PRICES:
◆ UPGRADE OPTION
1525 € ▸ 1433 € per person in double/twin room (2 persons)
| Single Suplement (room for single use)
(...and 3rd person): + 635 €
Solo Traveller (1 person): 2325 € ▸ 2185 €
The Azores Islands apply a tourist tax that will be collected at each establishment upon arrival. This tourist tax ranges from €2 to €3 per person/accommodation, depending on the type of establishment and the time of year. Our prices do not include this tourist tax.
Any arrival date is possible - You decide your travel dates and when to start. However, we must first request availability to the accommodations.
Booking: With an initial payment of 150 € (per person), book now and guarantee your trip. Pay the rest amount 21 days before your arrival date. We will confirm your reserve within 24 hours. But in the case of accommodations unavailability, we will refund the paid amount or propose alternative dates.
Peak Tourist Season does not only mean high temperatures, crowded beaches and expensive flights. Accommodation prices also increase substantially. Therefore, during this period we are unable to offer early booking discounts and the price of the entire package may be higher than indicated. Azores peak tourist season begins on June, 1st and ends on September, 30th.
What does this programme include?
Accommodations - 7 nights in small charming hotel, B&B basis, 8 days
Informations - personalised information by video-talk (if desired) on your arrival day
Descriptions & GPX Tracks - to follow the walks on your mobile device
+ 
Transfers - all necessary luggage & persons transfers for each stage, inc. arrival & departure
Local flight - flight connection between the islands of São Miguel and Santa Maria (round trip)
Support 24h - we keep permanently in touch with you throughout your stay to solve any problem or enquiry you may have
What is NOT included?
Cancellation Policy
call us on +34 922 433 001 or text us at
