Azores Island Hopping

If you are interested in walking through unique and unspoilt landscapes, rich in unusual geology, dormant volcanoes and hillsides full of flowers and vineyards, then this tour will appeal to you. The activity is fairly gentle with shorter walks (although some ascents and descents are involved due to the nature of the islands terrain!) with plenty of opportunity for taking in the rich and diverse culture. A wonderful whale watching trip is also included, giving you a fantastic slow adventure of this fascinating archipelago!

Slower Adventures | Where walking and cycling meet easy-going exploring, our Slower Adventures are the perfect combination. Most days are filled with picturesque journeys with some free time to dive into the destination and experience the people, local food and culture as you go.

Multi Centre Walking | With a mix of loop and point-to-point walks stay 2 or 3 nights in one place which offers the chance to slow down and really explore a destination.

Solo Travellers, Families with Teens

The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years

This walk is graded easy to moderate and includes daily walks of between 5-16 km following footpaths, tracks and coastal paths. Although the daily distances are not that far, you should be aware that the walks on Days 4, 5 and 6 in particular do involve some more significant ascent/descents and Day 5 and 6 are graded as moderate walks rather than easy-moderate. Overall, you should still have plenty of time to experience the culture and local food, as is the essence of our Slower Adventures. 

You will stay for 2 nights on Sao Miguel island, 2 nights on Pico island, 2 nights on Sao Jorge island and 1 night on Faial island. We have carefully selected small, traditional hotels and guesthoues. All of the accommodations have been specifically chosen for their comfort and also for their great locations.

Alternative accommodation

During the high season, you might be booked into alternative accommodations which are not listed in the description. Any alternative accommodation will be of the same or better standard as those described.

Single Rooms & Solo Walkers

If you require single rooms within your party we would be happy to accommodate you although there is a single room supplement payable. Solo walkers are also welcome for an additional charge.

Meals

7 Breakfasts are included. You can eat dinner in restaurants in the towns and villages close to your hotel or at your accommodations. For lunches you can find local cheeses, meats and breads in local shops or markets.

The walks mostly take place on coastal or inland footpaths and at times rocky tracks (driveable). Some of them are marked. However, please be aware that the trails are often poorly maintained and after rain may be slippery. 

Navigation is straightforward as you can use the Macs Adventure Smartphone App which has maps, GPS tracks, and daily route information. Simply download the GPS tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone with the assurance that navigation will be simple, and you can’t get lost. You will find more information on downloading the app in your Macs Adventure Account.

Our walks usually begin and end at a central point in town (such as a church, bus stop, etc.). Access routes to your accommodation are not included in our km daily figures. However, the Macs app will guide you to your accommodation.

Recommended Reading

Although not essential, if you would like more information on the route please see our recommendation below:

• Azores by Freytag & Berndt (map) 

This trip is available to start from the beginning of April to the end of October. Please note that depending on the ferry schedules and internal flight times, the order of the walks may change. We will adapt your itinerary accordingly for you and let you know about this when we confirm the booking if this has been necessary. The flight on Day 2 may not be a direct flight and we will also let you know about this if this is the case. The direct flight from Ponta Delgada to Pico usually operates on Tuesdays and Thursdays only but can change.

If you are booking your internal flights yourself, we recommend that you try to book the earliest flight possible on Day 2 from Ponta Delgada to Pico which will allow you to do the walk that day.

On arrival at Ponta Delgada Airport a transfer is included to your hotel. The journey from the airport to Ponta Delgada takes around 20 minutes. Ponta Delgada Airport is served by TAP Portugal and SATA Air Azores. 

Another option is to take a flight on a low-cost airline to Lisbon, then take SATA or TAP from here to Ponta Delgada.

The two internal flights in the itinerary are also included in the price of the tour and we will book these for you.

Daily door to door baggage transfer is included in the price of your trip. We ask you to keep your baggage to a maximum of 1 bag per person (maximum weight 20kg).