Essential Azores Azores
5 Days from £1010pp
based on 45 students and 5 free teacher places travelling in Oct 27 excluding school holiday peak dates. All compulsory charges that we have been able to calculate are included in the price. We'll highlight any expected local charges in your tailored quote.
We provide transparent and realistic pricing that reflects a full itinerary of engaging activities. As former teachers, we know your time is valuable, so we focus on giving you clear, honest quotes from the outset.
A trip to the Azores islands is a journey to a natural paradise normally saved for the documentaries on National Geographic. Below is our itinerary suggestion for a whistle stop tour of of Portugal’s archipelago.
Your students' highlights will include exploring the culture in the capital city of Ponta Delgada, admiring the flowers at Terra Nostra Gardens and soaking in hot springs at Caldeira Velha.
Depending on your budget and group size, our travel specialists will be able to recommend an itinerary that meets your expectations and offers excellent value for money.
What's included
- Return flights from Heathrow via Lisbon
- Hold luggage for all passengers
- 4 nights' accommodation
- Full board basis
- A professional guide on days 2 to 4
- All visits as described in itinerary including Terra Nostra Gardens, Sete Cidades & Furnas
- Travel disruption support
- Loyalty Scheme with a range of benefits and discounts
- All transportation in the Azores
Day
1
Exploring Ponta Delgada
You will fly into Ponta Delgada, the capital city on the largest island in the Azores, Sao Miguel.
You can choose to explore the town independently or follow the walking trail through town. You will find cobbled streets and colourful houses in the old town and may spot the occasional cruise ship harboured in the port.
Day
2
Furnas Geothermal Village, Terra Nostra Botanical Gardens & Tea Plantation
On your first day in the Azores, you will head into the green countryside to the village of Furnas.
The lake at Furnas is known as Lagoa das Furnas. You can walk around the lake for stunning views of the volcanic crater.
Furnas itself is filled with local charm with white houses, lush gardens and of course hot springs, The bubbling mud pools around the town are a distinctive feature reminding visitors of the tectonic activity below the island. You can visit the interpretation centre to learn more about the town’s geothermal history.
Students will enjoy the geothermal energy in the town by taking a swim in the large warm pool in Terra Nostra Gardens. The gardens themselves are rich with botanical diversity.
Your last stop of the day is at the tea plantation where students will learn more about tea production and even get to do a tasting.
Day
3
Lagoa do Fogo, Hot Springs & Rainforest Treks
You will visit the picturesque lake of Lagoa do Fogo. The bright blue waters have filled the caldera of the youngest volcano in the Azores which erupted 15,000 years ago.
Your next stop is one of the trip’s highlights, the natural hot springs at Caldeira Velha. Your students will swim in the warm waters surrounded by the verdant forest (€2 per safe is payable locally).
View geothermal energy and hydro-electric power plants during a trek through the forest. This is a great opportunity to see how Azorean people connect the natural and manmade worlds for sustainable energy.
Your final stop of the day is at Cascade Salto Do Cabrito waterfall, which is an excellent photo stop in serene surroundings.
Day
4
Sete Cidades and Mosteiros Beach
To the west of Sao Miguel is the parish of Sete Cidades which is home to one of the island’s most distinctive lakes.
The two crater lakes at Sete Cidades are distinguished by colour, blue (Lagoa Azul) and green (Lagoa Verde). Students will visit and walk around the craters to see both lakes.
After taking in the view at Ponta do Escalvado, head to the beach at Mosteiros constructed on the flat land or faja land created by lava flows.
Day
5
Fly home from Ponta Delgada
Say ‘Tchau‘ to the green islands of the Azores as you depart to the airport.
Trip notes:
There is a variety of cost-effective additions that can be made to this trip, for example a Cozido lunch which is cooked using geothermal heat underground.
The Azores is also a popular area of whale and dolphin watchers and a whale watching tour can be added to your trip. Simply talk to your travel specialist to include this in your trip.
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School Trip Planning Hub
We know that the real job of selling a school trip is down to you and your colleagues so we've collated some helpful resources for you to use to make sure you not only get the buy in from your students and their parents, but also that you have all the details you need to ensure a simple planning process.
Launching Your School TripCurriculum links
- Geography
- Tectonic processes, landforms & hazards
- Weather processes & hazards
- Ecosystems
- Water & river processes, landforms & management
- Coastal processes, landforms & management
- Rural environments
- Urban environments
- Population & migration
- Economic change & development
- Tourism
- Cultural, ethnic and gender geography
- Food & water resources
- Sustainability
- Globalisation
- Water, carbon & nutrient cycles
- Oceans
- Global systems, trade & global governance
- Changing places
- Geographical skills
Resources
Eyjafjallajokull: A Geography Case Study
The aim of this 15-minute video is to reflect on the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull in 2010 and to look forward to possible future volcanic eruptions in Iceland.
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Coasts Assessment Mats
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Top End of Year Quizzes to Wrap Up Term with Educational Fun
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