Hiking Tours in Madeira and the Azores

Madeira is a single island, and its hiking follows the levadas through a lush interior and along the coast, from bases in Santa Cruz, Santana, Ribeira Brava and Funchal. The Azores are nine islands, and our trip visits four by plane and ferry, with more volcanic scenery and more whales. Madeira is the hillier of the two.

Irrigation channels built to carry water from Madeira's wet north slopes to the drier south. There are over 200 of them, covering more than 1,350 miles, and the paths built to maintain them now reach parts of the island you couldn't otherwise see. Some run through tunnels, so pack a head torch.

Madeira runs all year. April to June and September to December are ideal, and winter days are still in the 50s. Our Azores trip runs April to October, and spring is when the biggest whales arrive. The Azores get very busy from May to August, so book early.

Fly to Lisbon or Porto, then take one of the daily flights to Ponta Delgada on São Miguel, about 2.5 hours from Lisbon. For Madeira, fly into Funchal. Airport transfers are included on both trips, and island flights and ferries are included in the Azores.

Their biodiversity. Turquoise crater lakes, deep green forest and fields of blooming hydrangea, with hot springs, mud pots and fumaroles showing the volcanic forces still at work. Sete Cidades crater on São Miguel is a classic, and on Faial you'll walk the Capelinhos landscape left by the 1957 eruption.

On Madeira, fresh seafood and the island's famous fortified wine, sweet or dry, and 4 dinners are included. In the Azores, lunch is usually cheese, cured meats and bread from local shops, and Pico's vineyards grow wine among lava-stone walls.