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São Miguel Self-Guided Hiking Tour: 8 Days in the Azores
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Basic Standard terms
Cancel within 48h of booking
100% refund
Cancel 60+ days before departure (Any or no reason)
70% refund
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Cancel any time (Any or no reason)
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Cancel any time (Covered reason)
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Travel: canceled flights, lost baggage, delays
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Rescue, evacuation, and medical coverage
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Cancellation policy

The percentages in the table above are of the full trip price, not of what you’ve paid at the time of booking.

Cancellations made within 48 hours of booking receive a full refund on all plans, including booking fees and insurance. After the 48-hour window, your refund depends on your selected protection plan and when you cancel. Core and Premium plans extend your cancellation rights beyond the Standard policy:

  • With Core, a covered reason gets you 75% of your trip cost back — even the day before you go.
  • With Premium, a covered reason gets you 100% of your trip cost back — and any other reason gets you 75%, right up to the day you leave.
What counts as a covered reason
  • Sudden illness or injury — yours, a travel companion’s, or an immediate family member’s, confirmed by a doctor
  • Death of a traveler or an immediate family member
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Changing your mind isn’t a covered reason. Premium is the only plan that covers that. Documentation is required for all insurance claims.

Everything the travel insurance covers

Both plans include travel insurance through Redpoint Travel Protection. Core insures 75% of your trip cost; Premium insures 100%.

Maximum per person:

  • Trip cancellation — up to 100% of your trip cost
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  • Travel inconvenience — $250 each, $750 max
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  • Baggage and personal effects — $2,500, max $300 an item
  • Baggage delay — $600, after 12 hours
  • Baggage delivery — $100 per trip
  • Emergency medical expenses — $100,000
  • Medical evacuation and repatriation — up to $1,000,000

These are maximums. What a claim actually pays depends on what you can document and on the policy’s exclusions — pre-existing conditions and undeclared activities among them. We’ll send the full policy wording with your confirmation.

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São Miguel Self-Guided Hiking Tour: 8 Days in the Azores
Itinerary
São Miguel Self-Guided Hiking Tour: 8 Days in the Azores
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  • You start and finish in Ponta Delgada, with three nights in the capital and four in Furnas, so you unpack twice and nothing more. Taxis drop you at each trailhead and collect you afterwards, leaving the walking to you: the Sete Cidades crater rim, the Rota de Agua aqueducts and Janela do Inferno, the climb to Lagoa do Fogo, the Furnas valley, the Gorreana tea plantation and the coast down to Praia da Viola, and the waterfalls above Faial da Terra. Day 3 has room for an optional food walk or whale watching. Breakfasts are included; lunches and dinners are yours to choose.

    • Land on São Miguel, the largest island in the archipelago and home to Ponta Delgada, the capital of the Azores. A private taxi takes you from the airport to your hotel in the city. Baroque facades, narrow streets, churches built partly of black lava stone, and a big, busy marina set the tone for the week ahead. Depending on when you arrive, there’s time to wander the old centre and get your bearings before the hiking starts. Three crater lakes are waiting for you over the coming days.

      Accommodation: Hotel in Ponta Delgada

      ponte delgada

    • A transfer brings you to the Sete Cidades region, and the walk begins at Lagoa do Canário with a grandstand view over the Azul and Santiago lakes. From there you follow the rim of the crater, circling the water as viewpoint after viewpoint opens up over the blue and green lakes. The path then drops down to the village of Sete Cidades, tucked at the bottom of the caldera. Take your time here and go look at the seven-arched bridge, named for the seven cities of Atlantis said to lie beneath these lakes. A transfer returns you to Ponta Delgada.

      Meals: Breakfast
      Distance: 16 km (10 mi), about 5 hours
      Elevation: +260 m (+853 ft) / -755 m (-2,477 ft)
      Accommodation: Hotel in Ponta Delgada

    • Today’s walk is the Rota de Agua, the “water road”. The trail leads you to Janela do Inferno, a vertical wall fed by springs where erosion has carved out a cavity in the rock. It’s a good spot to stop, look around, and catch your breath. Further on you cross a run of grand old aqueducts that once supplied the alcohol factory of Lagoa, then a transfer takes you back to Ponta Delgada. Two optional morning activities can be added: a guided gourmet and cultural walk through the capital’s cobbled streets, with six tastings and two traditional drinks, or a three-hour whale watching boat trip from Ponta Delgada harbour with a biologist briefing beforehand. Either way, the hike moves to the afternoon.

      Meals: Breakfast
      Distance: 8.5 km (5.3 mi), about 2.5 hours
      Elevation: +260 m (+853 ft) / -260 m (-853 ft)
      Accommodation: Hotel in Ponta Delgada

      azores hike

    • A transfer drops you at the trailhead for the wildest lake on the island, the famous Lagoa do Fogo. You follow a levada and cross a geothermally active area as the path climbs to the crests, where the vantage points over the surrounding landscape keep coming. The way back takes a wide mountain pass down to the coast, and from there you transfer to Furnas for the next three nights.

      Meals: Breakfast
      Distance: 11 km (6.8 mi)
      Duration: 3 hours
      Elevation: +540 m (+1,772 ft) / -540 m (-1,772 ft)
      Accommodation: Hotel in Furnas

      lagoa do fogo

    • Today you walk straight into the crater of Furnas. Lush vegetation, fumaroles, and sulfur springs line the way, and down by the lake you can see the famous cozido cooking in the ground, the stew that gives this valley its culinary reputation. Back in Furnas village, you can soak in the warm waters of the Terra Nostra Garden if you fancy it (entrance fees are not included).

      Meals: Breakfast
      Distance: 14 km (8.7 mi)
      Duration: 4 hours
      Elevation: +410 m (+1,345 ft) / -410 m (-1,345 ft)
      Accommodation: Hotel in Furnas

      discovering furnas valley

    • The taxi drops you at the Gorreana tea plantation, one of only two in Europe, where tea is still grown, picked, and made the old way. Then it’s on to the walk: the trail threads between the neatly pruned green shrubs, and the higher sections open up big views of the north coast. A country lane leads into the village of Maia, where the coastal stretch begins, past the basins the village women once used to wash clothes and on to a cluster of old water mills from the island’s wheat-farming days. You finish at the wild beach of Praia da Viola, below the waterfalls, before transferring back to Furnas.

      Meals: Breakfast
      Distance: 8.6 km (5.3 mi)
      Duration: 3.5 hours
      Elevation: +260 m (+853 ft) / -450 m (-1,476 ft)
      Accommodation: Hotel in Furnas

      gorreana tea

    • A transfer takes you this morning to Faial da Terra, down at the southeastern tip of the island, a village that lived off whaling and farming for generations. From there the trail follows the river into the forest, where the vegetation turns thick and green and many of the plants grow nowhere else. Old mills and waterfalls break up the walk, and the path eventually brings you to tiny Sanguinho and its stone houses before looping back to Faial da Terra. It’s the shortest walk of the week, so there’s plenty of time left to enjoy Furnas at your own pace in the afternoon.

      Meals: Breakfast
      Distance: 4.2 km (2.6 mi), about 1 hour 30 minutes
      Elevation: +265 m (+869 ft) / -265 m (-869 ft)
      Accommodation: Hotel in Furnas

      amalfi coast waterfalls

    • Enjoy a last breakfast before a private taxi collects you roughly 2 hours 30 minutes before your flight and drives you to Ponta Delgada airport, so your departure stays smooth and stress-free.

      Meals: Breakfast

      bathing azores

    • Included:

        • 8-day self-guided hiking tour on São Miguel, Azores (6 days of hiking)
        • Accommodation for 7 nights at hotels with private facilities in Ponta Delgada and Furnas (double occupancy standard rooms)
        • 7 breakfasts
        • All transfers to and from the trailheads mentioned in the itinerary
        • Private taxi transfer from Ponta Delgada airport to your hotel on arrival, and back to the airport on departure day
        • Digital roadbook with detailed maps, vouchers, and contacts
        • 24/7 emergency assistance

      Add-ons (pricing shown at checkout):

        • Single occupancy room (mandatory for solo travelers and groups of 3 or 5)
        • Whale watching from Ponta Delgada (Day 3, 3 hours) — a biologist briefing followed by a boat trip on a zodiac or catamaran
        • Food tour in Ponta Delgada (Day 3) — a guided walk with 6 tastings and 2 traditional drinks

      Not included:

        • Transportation to Portugal (international flights)
        • All lunches and dinners
        • Drinks
        • Entrance fees to the Terra Nostra Garden thermal baths in Furnas
        • City taxes, payable per person per night at the hotels
        • Personal purchases
        • Tips to drivers and restaurants
        • Anything not mentioned in the ‘Included’ section above
        • Insurance — recommended, available at checkout

    • In order to join this self-guided hiking tours in São Miguel, good fitness is required as well as previous hiking experience on uneven mountain and coastal trails. The most you’ll hike within a day is up to 16 km (10 mi), with up to 540 m (1,772 ft) of elevation gain.

      No technical skills are needed, but you should be comfortable walking for up to five hours on several days in a row, often on volcanic terrain that can be muddy or slippery after rain. Your luggage stays at the hotel, so you only carry a light day pack, and shorter days such as the 4.2 km (2.6 mi) walk at Faial da Terra give your legs a break. Days start with a transfer to the trailhead, so you set your own pace once you’re out there.

    • Gear:

        • Day pack (25-40L)
        • Water bottle or hydration bladder (2L)
        • Hiking boots or sturdy hiking shoes with good grip, trails can be muddy and slippery
        • Hiking poles (optional)
        • Headlamp
        • Phone or GPS device for following the digital roadbook, plus a power bank

      Clothing & footwear:

        • Waterproof rain jacket, showers are common on the island
        • Layers: base layer, fleece or light insulated jacket
        • Hiking trousers or shorts
        • Sunhat and sunglasses
        • Swimwear and a towel for the warm thermal waters in Furnas
        • Comfortable shoes and casual clothes for evenings in Ponta Delgada and Furnas

      Other:

        • Toiletries, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, and bug spray
        • Small first-aid kit and any personal medication
        • Snacks and lunch for the trail, as lunches are not included
        • Camera (optional but recommended)
        • Cash for city taxes, entrance fees, meals, and tips

      Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.

      Got everything you need? Grab your gear through Active Junky and earn cash back on top outdoor brands — plus a $10 bonus on your first $25+ purchase. Shop now at Active Junky!

    • Self-guided tours are perfect for those who enjoy exploring on their own terms—at their own pace, and with the company they choose. By joining this self-guided hiking tour on São Miguel, we take care of:

        • Accommodation for 7 nights
        • 7 breakfasts
        • All transfers to and from the trailheads mentioned in the itinerary
        • Private taxi transfer from Ponta Delgada airport to your hotel on arrival, and back to the airport on departure day
        • Digital roadbook with detailed maps, vouchers, and contacts
        • 24/7 emergency assistance

      Rather than joining a guided group, you’ll navigate the tour yourself, using resources provided by the tour operator. For a hassle-free journey with everything arranged for you in advance, there’s no better option!

      As a self-guided tour is built around your preferred travel dates, your guide will take care of arranging accommodations and details after you book. Note that exact accommodations and dates might shift slightly, so don’t make any travel arrangements until the details of your adventure are confirmed.

    • The price for this self-guided hiking tours in São Miguel is based on twin-share rooms, but a single occupancy room can be arranged at an additional fee. You can add it to your booking at checkout.

      Solo travelers are welcome to join, but securing a single occupancy room for themselves is required—you’ll be able to add it to your booking at checkout. Also, if your group has an odd number of people (e.g., 3 or 5 people), adding the single occupancy option is mandatory as well.

    • Group sizes and pricing:

        • This is a self-guided tour, so you hike with your own party rather than joining a group of strangers. The maximum group size is set at 6 participants.
        • Self-guided hiking tours in São Miguel can be arranged for larger groups — contact us to make arrangements.

      Min. age requirements:

        • If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
        • Minors younger than 18 may be permitted to join the hiking tour on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.
        • If your group has participants under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

    • The starting point of your self-guided hiking tours in São Miguel is Ponta Delgada, the capital of the Azores on the island of São Miguel. To get there, most people fly into João Paulo II Airport, Ponta Delgada (PDL). From there, you can take a shuttle service, public transport, or rent a car to reach Ponta Delgada.

      Airport transfers are included: a private taxi takes you from the airport to your hotel in Ponta Delgada on arrival, and on the final day a private taxi picks you up roughly 2 hours and 30 minutes before your flight for the ride back to the airport.

    • We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with insurance. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, you’ll be offered to simply insure your trip with Redpoint at checkout.

      Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner—tailors protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations! Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.

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