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Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Activity note: Fly from Ponta Delgada to Horta, approximately 45 minutes. Getting on/off a bus; driving about 5.5 miles (8.8 km), approximately 15 minutes depending on traffic. Walking about 2 miles, approximately 2 hours; cobblestone pavement.
Morning: Transfers from Horta Airport to the hotel. You will be able to check-in to your room on arrival at the hotel and have free time to unpack and rest until the orientation walk this afternoon. NOTE: The group leader will confirm the timing of the Orientation walk and the welcome and information session to be held this afternoon.
Lunch: At the hotel before check-in.
Afternoon: We meet in reception at the time set by the group leader and will set out on a walking field trip to introduce the town and the Museu da Horta. This small local museum details the important historical information of Faial Island and features items of art, transportation, and communication. We will walk back to the hotel via the seafront promenade and view traditional artwork left by sailors passing through when crossing the Atlantic. Before dinner, we will have a welcome information and introduction meeting. The Group Leader will greet everyone with a welcome drink and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. We then take a short walk to the renowned local restaurant, Peter’s Café, an historic stopping point for boats and sailors from around the world We will have our dinner and visit the private scrimshaw collection located in a small museum above the premises. .
Dinner: At Peter’s Café.
Evening: At Leisure
Activity note: Botanical Garden has mostly level terrain with short incline at entrance. Caldeira situated at altitude, colder temperatures to be expected. Level ground at main viewpoint, may be slippery when wet. Optional steps for secondary viewpoint. Short walk on pathway from bus to Capelinhos Volcano Center. Upon exiting the center, participants must walk a short stretch on sand so suitable footwear is recommended. Few steps located inside the center but wheelchair ramp is also available
Breakfast: In the hotel restaurant.
Morning: Depart the hotel by motor coach for a full day of excursions and field trips. Begin the morning with a brief stop at the Espalamaca viewpoint, looking out onto the town of Horta below and Pico Island across the sea. Continue on a short 15 minutes drive to the Faial Botanical Garden where you will learn about the Azorean flora. After a short video presentation we start a guided lecture with one of the garden’s local experts walking around the gardens. Return to the motor coach and drive to the center of the Island up to an altitude of 3,422 feet (1,043 meters) to view the famous Caldeira, a vast volcanic crater measuring approx. a mile (1.5 kilometres) wide and more than 1,200 feet (370 meters) deep, now a nature reserve and an impressive reminder of the volcanic origins of the Azores
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: After lunch , we will take a field trip to the Capelinhos Volcano Interpretation Center. Located underground, it conducts continued research on the volcanic eruption of 1957-58 and monitors activity of the Capelinhos volcano. The center also has interesting exhibits on volcanoes from all the Azorean islands as well as other islands from around the world. This unusual and futuristic looking scientific facility was built beneath the ashes of the eruption, adjoining and incorporating the first two floors of the old lighthouse, still standing above upon the barren landscape. We return to the hotel and have some time to refresh and relax before dinner tonight.
Dinner: We’ll walk to a local restaurant where we will cook our own dinner! We’ll choose from a selection of meat, fish, and vegetables and cook them on hot basaltic stone placed before us.
Evening: At leisure
Activity note: Getting on/off a bus; driving about 60 miles (96.5 km), approximately 35 minutes at a time. Walking up to 1/2 mile, approximately 1/2 hour; mostly level terrain, some hilly areas and uneven surfaces. Carrying your own luggage, getting on/off a ferry and an airplane riding about 4.5 nautical miles to Pico Island, approximately 1/2 hour sailing and 45 minutes flight to Ponta Delgada
Breakfast: At the hotel, and checkout of your room.
Morning: Check out of hotel and transfer by motor coach to the dockside where you will check your luggage and we board the ferry 30 minutes sailing. On arrival at Madalena(Pico Island, collect our luggage and board our waiting coach for a field trip to Pico Island, named for its dormant volcano. At a height of 7,700 feet (2,350 meters), the volcano is the highest point in Portugal. One of the most beautiful islands in the Azores, Pico is on the UNESCO World Heritage List for the landscape of its vineyard culture: “an outstanding example of the adaptation of farming practices to a remote and challenging environment.” Long stone walls called “currais” running inland around the northern and western edges of the island were built to form and protect thousands of small plots for grape vines and other crops. From the principal town of Madalena, we’ll take a motor coach with our local expert to see several villages along the mountain road en route to Lajes do Pico.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: Next, we will take a field trip to the Capelinhos Volcano Interpretation Center. Located underground, it conducts continued research on the volcanic eruption of 1957-58 and monitors activity of the Capelinhos volcano. The center also has interesting exhibits on volcanoes from all the Azorean islands as well as other islands from around the world. This unusual and futuristic looking scientific facility was built beneath the ashes of the eruption, adjoining and incorporating the first two floors of the old lighthouse, still standing above upon the barren landscape. We will then ride to the airport and check in for our short flight to Ponta Delgada. On arrival, we will take a bus to the hotel and check in.
Dinner: –The flight time schedule will determine where we will have dinner or a packed meal
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Walking up to 2.5 miles, approximately 2 hours; mostly level terrain, some cobblestones, some gentle slopes.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: This morning we will be joined by a local expert for a walking field trip that will begin with a visit to the Municipal market, for an opportunity to see local people and be introduced to local agricultural and food products and get a sense of the Azorean way of life. After some free time to explore on your own, we continue our walk to the former Jesuit College chapel, through the city center and Portas da Cidade( the City gates) we will arrive at Senhor Santo Cristo Sanctuary. We’ll learn about this most important and respected religious image on the Island, a wooden carving of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres (Christ of the Miracles). Brought from Rome in 1530 C.E., it has been venerated for miracles that people of faith have attributed to this “Ecce Homo” image of Jesus. Every year, a great procession follows the image as it is paraded throughout the town. . We’ll stroll on through the main commercial streets and explore the Military Museum, before lunch
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: Free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration. You are welcome to walk back to the hotel along the seafront or stay out longer and explore on your own. Returning to the hotel, we gather at 5:30 p.m. for a lecture on other fascinating aspects of the Azores.
Dinner: Tonight before going out for dinner on your own, we will meet at the Hotel mezzanine for a presentation and tasting of cheeses and wines from the islands.. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Everyone is invited to gather first for a drink at the hotel bar and discuss choices for dinner on your own.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting on/off a bus; driving about 50 miles total, approximately 1 hour. Walking at museum, approximately 1 hour; level surface, few stairs.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: We will board the bus and ride to the parish of Faja de Baixo for a field trip to a pineapple farm. Pineapples were brought here from Brazil in the 19th Century, but unlike those of its native land, Azores pineapples are grown in greenhouses and take about two years to mature. This slow process makes them very sweet. We’ll look inside greenhouses to see the plants in different stages of growth. Moving on, we will ride to Vista do Rei, a vantage point overlooking three-mile-wide Lagoa de Sete Cidades — Seven Cities Lagoon — considered one of the most beautiful natural settings in the Azores. Our expert will point out the Twin Lagoons within the crater. Lagoa Azul is the blue lake reflecting the open sky and Lagoa Verde the green lagoon reflecting the lush green vegetation on the surrounding steep walls of the crater. We will then ride down to the village at the edge of the Lagoa de Sete Cidades for a self-directed exploration before continuing to Capelas on the north of the island for lunch.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: Next, we will visit the Museu das Oficinas, the Workshop Museum. We will meet the owners who will introduce their private collection. The ethnographic display is a labor of love by a couple determined to preserve for future generations memories of every craft, profession, or traditional labor from these islands and Portugal as a whole. Returning to Ponta Delgada, the remainder of the afternoon is at leisure.
Dinner: At a local restaurant.
Evening: At leisure to prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning
Activity note: Getting on/off a bus; driving about 40 miles total, approximately 1.5 hours. Walking up to 1 mile, approximately 1/2 hour at a time; uneven terrain.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: After checking out we will board the coach with our and ride up the mountain to Caldeira Velha — Old Cauldron — to explore a narrow gorge inside the old crater filled with lush vegetation and small hot water pools. Weather permitting, we will ride farther up the mountain to the edge of Lagoa do Fogo — Lake of Fire — at an altitude of 3,114 feet (949 meters) with great views over the crater lake below and unspoiled natural surroundings. We’ll then ride down to Ribeira Grande and have some free time to explore on your own before lunch
Lunch: At a restaurant in Ribeira Grande.
Afternoon: After lunch we will take a short drive to Gorreana tea factory next to its plantation in this tea growing region, the only one in Europe Enjoy a guided visit by your expert instructor explaining the various machinery's and its purposes. Observe the ladies "picking the tea leaves" on factory floor, next to the automated machines preparing and packing the tea bags. You will also be able to taste some of the teas produced here. We continue to Santa Iria view point over the ocean before arriving at Furnas village and check-in on arrival at our hotel.
Dinner: On your own to have what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Everyone is invited to gather first for a drink at the hotel bar and discuss choices for dinner on your own.
Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity note: Getting on/off a bus, driving about 30 miles total; approximately 1 hour. Walking up to 1.5 miles, approximately 1/2 hour at a time; some uneven terrain around fumaroles.
Breakfast: At the hotel.
Morning: After breakfast we board our motor coach for a short ride to CMIF(Centro de Monitoramento e Interpretacao da Lagoa de Furnas) for a visit. One of the center expert will lead a private tour of the center and explain their activities preserving the lagoon and surrounding areas. After the visit we drive again a short distance to the Fumarolas where we’ll watch the retrieval of a famous Azorean delicacy, known as Cosido. This varied selection of meats or fish with vegetables is layered in a big pot and lowered into underground holes for up to six hours where volcanic steams will cook the food. Back aboard the bus, we’ll ride a short distance to Caldeira das Furnas As we walk around the area, we’ll observe and explore the different types of thermal springs. We will also have an opportunity to sample the local spring water. We then ride back to the Hotel to have our own Cozido
Lunch: At the hotel restaurant, we will have the traditional Cosido meal. The meat and vegetables cook together for hours. The gravy comes from the natural juices of the ingredients.
Afternoon: We will gather at approximately 3:00 p.m. in the hotel lobby for a walk with a local botanical expert through the Hotel Terra Nostra private gardens and thermal pools. We’ll then check in to our rooms. The remainder of the afternoon is free. You might like to enjoy the hotel spa facilities, take a dip in one of the thermal pools, or stroll around the Terra Nostra Park that is closed to the public and reserved for hotel guests after 6:00 p.m.
Dinner: At the hotel. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening: At leisure. You might like to have a drink at the bar with fellow Road Scholars. The Group Leader will also provide information about transfer arrangements for tomorrow.
Activity note: Hotel check out 11:00 a.m. See your program’s travel details regarding transfers. For those who purchased airfare through Road Scholar, a transfer to the airport is included.
Breakfast: At the hotel followed by checkout.. The Group Leader will be at hand to confirm departure instructions.
Morning: Free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration. You might like to explore Thermas de Furnas on your own, at your own pace, take another stroll in the private hotel gardens, enjoy the spa facilities, or finish packing.
Lunch: At a Local restaurant
Afternoon: After lunch transfer to the airport for check-in to your return flight home. Your group leader will be at hand to assist For those who purchased airfare through Road Scholar, a transfer to the airport is included. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!