The Ultimate Azores - Four Islands

The trip begins in Ponta Delgada on São Miguel, the Azores' largest island. A transfer takes you from the airport to the hotel in the middle of town. Depending on when you land, you might have time for a first stroll through the archipelago's lively capital: narrow cobblestone streets with black-and-white patterns, elegant churches and the city gates facing the harbour, where the marina opens up toward the Atlantic. A gentle start to life out at sea.

A short domestic flight takes you to Pico, the island named after the volcano towering above it. From Madalena you walk along the coast between small fishing harbours, where there might be time for a swim, and the island's distinctive vineyards. The vines grow in thousands of small plots enclosed by low walls of black lava stone that protect them from wind and salt. The landscape has been shaped by centuries of persistent labour and is today listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Why not finish with a glass of the mineral-rich wine for a truly local After Walk.

The literal highlight of the trip. Together with a licensed English-speaking local guide, you set off in a small group to climb Pico, 2,351 metres high and Portugal's highest peak. It is the toughest hike of the trip, with a steady ascent through a barren landscape of lava, volcanic rock and open sky. The higher you get, the farther you can see across the Atlantic and the neighbouring islands. At the summit, steam still hisses out of the crater. If you'd rather skip the summit, easier alternatives are available.

By taxi you head up to the island's central mountain ridge, where volcanic cones line up one after another beneath low, endemic vegetation. You follow the second half of the old donkey trail between Lajes and São Roque. The first part, from Lajes up to the plateau, has completely disappeared, and no one has managed to find where the path began. As you descend toward the sea, the original vegetation gives way to forest of introduced species such as pittosporum, cryptomeria and pine. The walk ends through the Prainha nature reserve at the small beach of Baía das Canas, perfect for a swim. Transfer back to the accommodation. If you like, you can fit in whale watching from Madalena in the morning (optional add-on).

In the morning you take the ferry from Madalena to São Jorge, a wild and steep island with high cliffs, deep green valleys and plateaus facing the sea. Along the edge lie fajãs, fertile spits of land at the foot of the cliff walls where small villages and fruit orchards have taken root. From the heights at Serra do Topo you walk down along the pilgrim trail between hydrangeas and junipers to Fajã de Santo Cristo, a secluded village by a lagoon reachable only on foot. From there you continue along the coast to Fajã dos Cubres. Transfer to Velas for the night.

Today's hike links volcano after volcano on a trail along the island's spine. You pass several peaks before reaching the highest, Pico da Esperança at 1,053 metres, with São Jorge spread out on both sides. The second half descends toward the north coast across pastureland to beautiful Fajã do Ouvidor, with houses on terraces along the slope and natural pools carved into the volcanic rock down by the sea. A long day but mostly downhill. Transfer back to Velas.

The ferry takes you to Horta on Faial, a legendary stopover for sailors crossing the Atlantic. Transfer to the south coast for a short walk to the lighthouse at Capelinhos, where a dramatic volcanic eruption in 1957 caused lava and ash to extend the island into the sea. The result is a colourful moonscape, almost like its own island fused to the land. You might have time for a swim in this unique setting. Back in Horta you'll have time to explore the colonial architecture, maritime history, traces of the whaling era and the town's cosmopolitan atmosphere.

A short transfer takes you up to the centre of Faial, the vast Caldeira crater. You follow the rim at almost 1,000 metres with sweeping views over the island's volcanic landscape. The trail then joins a historic levada, an irrigation channel, winding along a ledge cut into the slope. Through old lava fields with colourful hydrangeas, you gradually descend to the quiet coastal village of Praia do Norte. Transfer back to Horta.

In the morning you fly back to Ponta Delgada and get a private transfer to Furnas, where you stay for the day and night. You walk in the crater amid lush subtropical greenery with fern trees and flowers, coming close to the archipelago's active volcanism: fumaroles and sulphur springs that bubble and steam. Here you also encounter the valley's special food tradition, where the stew cozido is cooked buried in the warm earth by the lake. Why not finish in the warm waters of the Terra Nostra garden (admission fee applies).

A short drive in the morning takes you to the starting point of today's hike toward one of São Miguel's most iconic sites, the wild crater lake Lagoa do Fogo. You follow a calm levada that climbs gradually through a landscape shaped by volcanic force, crosses an area of active geothermal activity and reaches up to the mountain ridge. There, viewpoint after viewpoint awaits over the island's dramatic interior. The descent follows a wide mountain path toward the coast. After the hike, you travel by car back to Ponta Delgada.

Private transfer to Lagoa do Canário, the starting point for one of São Miguel's finest hikes along the rim of the great Sete Cidades crater. The view stretches across the twin lakes, the green crater slopes and the Atlantic beyond. The descent leads to the village of Sete Cidades, where the seven-arched bridge recalls the legend of the lost Atlantis. A fitting finale to the island-hopping through one of the world's most beautiful archipelagos.

After breakfast the trip comes to an end. A taxi takes you to the airport in Ponta Delgada approximately 2.5 hours before departure.