Skip to Main Content
Road Scholar logo
Azores

An Active Exploration of the Azores With Your Grandchild

Program No. 24819RJ
Walk, kayak and swim your way through the natural wonders of the Azores with your grandchild!
WishlistShare
Start
  • A dirt path with wooden railings winds down a lush green hill overlooking crater lakes and the surrounding volcanic landscape in the Azores.
  • A sunny town square in Ponta Delgada, Azores, with a prominent clock tower, traditional white buildings, and a striped pedestrian walkway.
  • A tour guide points something out to a group during a walking tour in front of a statue on a sunny day in the Azores.
  • A tour group walks through a sunny stone plaza next to a historic building with ornate details in the Azores.
  • A pod of dolphins swims through the bright blue ocean waters of the Azores, as seen from above.
  • A woman in a pink jacket looks out over the vibrant blue Fire Lake surrounded by the lush green hills of the Azores.
  • A view of Ribeira Grande in the Azores, with a lush green park along a river, a stone bridge, and the ocean in the distance.
  • Brown and white dairy cows graze on a lush, green hillside with stone walls in the Azores.
  • A winding dirt path runs alongside a calm river through the lush Terra Nostra Garden in the Azores.
  • A large white house sits on a green hill behind a yellow thermal pool in Terra Nostra Garden in the Azores.
  • Mounds of dirt cover pots of Cozido cooking underground in the geothermal soil of Furnas Lake in the Azores.
  • An aerial view of the Sete Cidades twin lakes from a lush, green viewpoint on São Miguel island in the Azores.
  • A guide points to a picture of a lake in a book while talking to a woman during a hike in the Azores.
  • A scenic view of a waterfall in a lush green valley in the Azores, with a walking path along the hillside.
  • Rows of pineapple plants grow inside a long greenhouse at the Arruda Pineapple Farm in the Azores.
  • A patterned cobblestone walkway in Ponta Delgada, Azores, runs alongside a historic stone fort and a street with cars under a sunny sky.
GrandparentSmall GroupAges 13 – 17
Length
10 days
Rating
Not yet reviewed
Activity Level
Starts at
4,299 / ADULT
3,849 / CHILD
Flights start at
1,050
Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
10 days
9 nights
What's Included
20 meals ( 8B, 7L, 5D )
1 expert-led lecture
18 expert-led field trips
4 hands-on experiences
An experienced Group Leader
8 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Expand All
Activity Note
In flight
Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 3:00pm; Walking up to 2 miles at sites in Ponta Delgada; about 2 hours; mostly level terrain, some inclines, urban streets, cobblestone sidewalks, steps up/down.
Breakfast:
Breakfast is not included
Morning:
Transfer from the airport to the hotel in the town of Ponta Delgada. The Group Leader will be on hand to provide assistance as needed.
Lunch:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own, to have what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Afternoon:
Meet fellow Road Scholars in the hotel for our Orientation Meeting. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. After the Orientation Meeting, we will meet our local expert in the hotel lobby and set out on foot to explore the town of Ponta Delgada. Walk through the city center and learn about the history of the town as we view some of the most important landmarks, including the Chapel of Our Lady of Hope and the City Gates. 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/current conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner:
Dinner at the hotel
Evening:
At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity Note
Getting in/out of 4x4 jeeps; driving about 40 miles, approximately 2 hours total riding time. Minimal walking at viewpoint stops. Cycling down by the lagoon, mostly level grass and urban terrain, dirt paths, earth and gravel terrain, minor inclines. Kayaking in the Sete Cidades lake.
Breakfast:
At the hotel
Morning:
We will meet our local experts in the hotel lobby and depart in jeeps to the village of Sete Cidades, home to arguably one of the most famous landscapes of the Azores islands. If weather and good visibility conditions allow, we will stop at the iconic Vista do Rei (King’s View) viewpoint, before descending into the village below to see the famous Twin Lakes.
Lunch:
A box-lunch picnic style.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we will spend the afternoon enjoying different activities in the village of Sete Cidades. We can kayak on the Twin Lakes and cycle around the village, before boarding our jeeps to return to the hotel in Ponta Delgada.
Dinner:
At the hotel with games night included.
Evening:
At leisure
Activity Note
Short 5-minute walk from the hotel to the marina, approximately 400 metres. Getting on/off a boat; riding for approximately 2.5 hours at sea.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will meet in the hotel lobby and take a short walk to the Ponta Delgada Marina, where we will meet our local expert. After a security and information briefing, we will board a boat to start our day’s adventure. We will observe sperm whales, dolphins and other cetaceans, recording their sounds, collecting samples and other materials for analysis back in the office. We will also have an opportunity to photograph and identify the species during the expedition.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we will meet our Marine Biologist to analyse the samples we collected and to learn more about the cetaceans and maritime life in the Azores.
Dinner:
On your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 42 miles, approximately 2 hours, total riding time. Walking for approximately 1.5 hours around the farm; mostly level, dirt path, earth and gravel terrain. Swimming in ocean rock pools.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will meet in the hotel lobby and depart by bus to the nearby Quinta do Agricultor, a traditional family run Azorean farm. We will be met by a local expert who will walk us through the land, teaching us about their crops and giving us samples of the organically grown produce. We will see the animals and end the walk inside a traditional Azorean stone house, preserved to display what Azorean life was like in the past. Learn how the locals used to prepare their own products and sample some typical food.
Lunch:
At the local Azorean farm.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we will board the bus and drive along the coast to the village of Mosteiros. We will learn about the lava rock formations that created the natural pools in the ocean, and if weather conditions allow, we can take this opportunity to swim. At the end of the afternoon, we will board the bus and return to the hotel.
Dinner:
On your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 68 miles, approximately 2.5 hours total riding time. Walking for approximately 1.5 hours; mostly level, urban streets, dirt path, earth and gravel terrain.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will meet in the hotel lobby and depart by bus to the Ananases Arruda Pineapple Plantation. Our local expert will show us the traditional whitewashed greenhouses and teach us about the two-year growth process that makes this local fruit so unique. Continue by bus to the famous Gorreana Tea Factory & Plantation. Owned by the same family for five generations, it is the only place in Europe that both grows and manufactures tea. Our local expert will lead us around the factory teaching us about the growing and manufacturing process and the differences between black and green tea. At the end, we can take some time to independently explore the property or to taste some of the different teas.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant
Afternoon:
After lunch, we will return to the bus and if weather and good visibility conditions allow, we will drive up to the Lagoa do Fogo (The Fire Lake), a crater lake within the Água de Pau Massif stratovolcano located in the center of the island and one of the most iconic viewpoints. We will then continue by bus across the island to the southern coast. Stop at Vila Franca do Campo, the first capital of Sao Miguel Island, and enjoy the views to the Vila Franco do Campo Islet in the ocean. We can also explore the Vila Franca do Campo Marina with its black sand beach and traditional Queijada cake factory. We will return to the bus and make our way back to our hotel.
Dinner:
At the hotel with games night included.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving around 20 miles, approximately 1-hour total driving time. Walking/standing on level floor at the museum and up/down steps with possible uneven terrain during cave visit.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Free time. This period 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.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant
Afternoon:
After lunch, we will board our bus and take a short drive to an ancient underground lava tube called Gruta do Carvao. We will be given a safety and information briefing before enjoying an expert-led exploration inside the cave. After our time in the cave, we will return to the bus and drive towards the “Oficina Museu”, a home in the village of Capelas that has been converted into a unique Arts & Crafts Workshop Museum. Take some time to independently explore the museum, viewing the many hundreds of collected items on show, before returning to the bus to drive back to our hotel in Ponta Delgada.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving 55 miles, approximately 2 hours total riding time. Walking on dirt paths, uneven earth and gravel terrain, minor inclines and steps, cobblestones and urban streets. Climbing at the Azores Treetop Park.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will meet in the hotel lobby and take a 45-minute drive by bus to the village of Furnas. We will walk around a portion of the Furnas Lake to the Azores Treetop Park. After a safety and information briefing, we will have an opportunity to venture through the trees on one of five different courses. At the end of the activity, we will return to the Furnas Lake Fumaroles, where the locals prepare the traditional Cozido dish (a selection of different meats and vegetables, layered in pots that are lowered into holes in the ground and cooked by volcanic steam) After seeing the pots being removed from the ground, we will return to the bus and drive to the village of Furnas for lunch.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we will meet our local expert and set out on foot for a walk through the Terra Nostra Garden. We will learn about the history of its creation and appreciate the various endemic and introduced species growing in the garden. We will also have an opportunity to swim in the thermal swimming pools located inside the garden, before returning by bus to our hotel in Ponta Delgada.
Dinner:
On your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 70 miles, approximately 2.5 hours total riding time. Walking on slippery cobblestones, urban concrete streets, uneven terrain, steps, inclines/descents (optional), walking/swimming in river.
Breakfast:
At the hotel
Morning:
We will meet in the hotel lobby and depart by bus to the Ribeira dos Caldeiroes natural park. Upon arrival, we will be given a safety and information briefing before getting suited up to begin our 2-hour Canyoning adventure. Walking inside the water, jump into crystal clear water pools, sliding between rocks shaped by the flow of the stream and abseil down and under waterfalls. Those not wanting to take part can explore the park and its waterfalls on foot.
Lunch:
A box-lunch picnic style.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we will board our bus and drive to the village of Furnas, stopping at the Caldeiras das Furnas, home to many thermal springs and where you can taste a host of different volcanic waters. We will then drive up to Furnas Lake, where we will stop at the CIAF (Furnas Environmental Interpretation Center). One of the center’s local experts will lead us around and teach us about the formation of the Azores and the important work being done in the region. From the CIAF, we will depart by bus back to our hotel in Ponta Delgada.
Dinner:
At the hotel. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner pool party!
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure the following day.
Activity Note
Hotel check out is at 12:00pm. See your program’s Transportation Information regarding transfers. Your group leader will advise departure times.
Breakfast:
At the hotel. This concludes our program.
Morning:
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 another rewarding program in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
Please select a day to update the map
Map details are not available for this location.