Join Arthur and Keron for a journey to the Islands of Portugal: Madeira, and São Miguel and Terceira in the Azores! Tropical color, legendary warm Portuguese welcomes, delicious food, luxurious accommodation and fun await. Along with non-stop photographic opportunities. We had so much fun last year in the Azores (on São Miguel) that we decided to do a full island exploration! This will fill quickly so do not wait to get your deposit in.
Dates: June 5-18 13 nights and 14 days.
We will fly directly into Madeira from the US on the 5th, (out of Newark, JFK, and Boston) arriving the morning of the 6th. Light activity is planned for this day in Funchal, and a dinner get-together.
June 6, 7, 8, and 9, will be spent exploring this fascinating island: it’s full of vibrant color, and a bit of mystery too if the foggy weather gods are with us for the ancient forests. We’ll be out all day each day, with lunches at local ‘spots’ hand-picked by our tremendous guide. There will be a super mix of village, city, small ports, landscapes and botanical gardens to appeal to all types of photographers. If you are a hiker you will have an opportunity to test the “levadas”. Otherwise we’ll travel by jeep or van to out of the way spots including the mysterious Fanal forest. We’ll try their famous Bolo do Caco (a bread made with sweet potatoes and garlic butter…) the Poncha, a punch with a punch, the Espetadas (beef with garlic and bay, grilled over laurel wood) and of course, Madeira wines.
On the 10th, we will fly to Terceira, in the Azores (Flight included in cost), to take in this deeply traditional island in the Azores group. Rural life dominates here, and of course small fishing ports, but we’ll be exploring this small island for everyday life and its genuine moments. The capital city, of Angra de Heroismo is a highlight. It is the oldest in the Azores, and the original capital for the Azores.
On the 13th we will fly to São Miguel (flight included in cost), the “Green” island in the Azores. And they are not joking. Keron says “Hawaii and Ireland got together and had a baby” to describe this Jurassic Park with milk cows paradise. Volcanoes formed the Azores and are STILL forming the Azores. We’ll even stay in a fabulous Spa hotel INSIDE a caldeira. Steam vents, sulphur, super hot water and ancient ferns are all around. The facilities cannot be bettered. So be sure to bring a bathing suit. The water is high in mineral content so a darker suit is best, but be sure to pack it. There’s nothing like floating in the very warm water in the outside pool at night, gazing up at the stars! Fish is the star of the daily menu, except at Keron’s favorite small restaurant outside of the town of Nordeste where the traditional beef stew takes center stage! The breakfasts (all the food really) at our hotel, the five star Octant Furnas, are delicious, nutritious, and filled with local delicacies. Be sure to try the cinnamon cookies before Arthur gets them all.
On Sao Miguel, we’ll be in and out of small and smaller towns, a mid-week market, fishing ports, a ceramics factory and museum, parks with waterfalls, and a working tea plantation.
We are confirming festival dates now and also posted air travel, which is subject to change. Please do not purchase airfare yet. It may suit the flow better if we reverse the trip and start in the Azores. Either way, there are direct flights into Sao Miguel in the Azores, just as there are for Madeira. This itinerary will be settled by September 15, 2026. Your flights between the islands are about an hour long into and out of very small airports, so no hassles, and they are both included in the trip cost. Baggage allowance will be a suitcase in the hold, a small carry-on and approved international-sized small roll-on bag. I’ll send more explicit weights and sizes before that September 15 date.
Arrival and final dinners are included, as are all breakfasts. Not included are the lunches and dinners on your own. Tips to drivers, guides, and hotel staff are all included. Travel insurance is STRONGLY recommended as we cannot refund fees within 150 days of travel.
Cost per person, double occupancy: $8750
Cost per person, single occupancy: $9840
Hotels on Madeira and Terceira are 4-star. On Sao Miguel, the Octant Furnas is fabulous 5-star hotel.
