Azores
An Active Exploration of the Azores with Your Family
Program No. 2482060MEADV-0219
Walk, kayak and swim your way through the natural wonders of the Azores with your family!
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We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more
Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone?
800-454-5768
Age -
ROOMING OPTION PRICING
The figures below indicate the rooming options available.
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DATES | ||||
Jun 18 - Jun 27, 2025
3,999 3,599 | ||||
Jun 18 - Jun 27, 2025
| - | 3,999 / Adult
3,599 / Child
| 4,399 / Adult
3,599 / Child
| |
Jul 23 - Aug 1, 2025
4,149 3,749 | ||||
Jul 23 - Aug 1, 2025
| - | 4,149 / Adult
3,749 / Child
| 4,449 / Adult
3,749 / Child
| |
Aug 8 - Aug 17, 2025
4,149 3,749 | ||||
Aug 8 - Aug 17, 2025
| - | 4,149 / Adult
3,749 / Child
| 4,449 / Adult
3,749 / Child
| |
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This date is available to book as a private experience for your group!
10 days
9 nights
20 meals
8B 7L 5D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
3
Casa do Vulcao, Gruta do Carvao, Portuguese lesson
Ponta Delgada
4
Marine Biologist for a Day, Lecture
Ponta Delgada
5
Oficina Museu, Ribeira Grande, Fire Lake
Ponta Delgada
6
Treetops adventure, Fumaroles, Terra Nostra Garden
Ponta Delgada
7
Sete Cidades, Kayak, stand-up paddle, Mosteiros pool
Ponta Delgada
9
Pineapple farm, Quinta do Agricultor, Farewell
Ponta Delgada
At a Glance
A thousand miles off the coast of Portugal, a group of islands nestled in the azure waters of the Atlantic is teeming with wildlife, natural wonders and a warm culture that waits to embrace you. Introduce your family to the incredible Azores on this active learning adventure. Kayak along volcanic landscapes and become a marine biologist for a day searching for whales on an expert-led whale watch, learning to identify the species by photographing them and listening to their unique sounds. Learn about local farming practices during a visit to a traditional Azorean farm. Hike along dormant volcanic features and enjoy time at a local botanical garden as you and your family make memories together in the beautiful natural spaces of the Azores.
Activity Level
Outdoor: Spirited
Stand for extended periods, hike up to 3 miles on uneven terrain, paddle a kayak (no experience necessary), wear a wet suit, swim in open waters.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Get up close to marine life in their natural habitat as you set sail on a whale watch and research trip led by a marine biologist.
- Taste a “cozido,” a traditional meal cooked underground by volcanic steam chambers known as fumaroles.
- Learn about seismic activity at a volcano monitoring center and even explore an empty lava chamber.
Program
At a Glance
Duration
10 days
Program Begins
Ponta Delgada
Program Concludes
Home
Group Type
Small Group
Meals
20
| 8B |
7L |
5D |
Activity Level
A thousand miles off the coast of Portugal, a group of islands nestled in the azure waters of the Atlantic is teeming with wildlife, natural wonders and a warm culture that waits to embrace you. Introduce your family to the incredible Azores on this active learning adventure. Kayak along volcanic landscapes and become a marine biologist for a day searching for whales on an expert-led whale watch, learning to identify the species by photographing them and listening to their unique sounds. Learn about local farming practices during a visit to a traditional Azorean farm. Hike along dormant volcanic features and enjoy time at a local botanical garden as you and your family make memories together in the beautiful natural spaces of the Azores.)
Best of all, you'll...
- Get up close to marine life in their natural habitat as you set sail on a whale watch and research trip led by a marine biologist.
- Taste a “cozido,” a traditional meal cooked underground by volcanic steam chambers known as fumaroles.
- Learn about seismic activity at a volcano monitoring center and even explore an empty lava chamber.
Activity Level
Outdoor: Spirited
Stand for extended periods, hike up to 3 miles on uneven terrain, paddle a kayak (no experience necessary), wear a wet suit, swim in open waters.
Small Group
(13 to 24)
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Family Program
Share your love of learning with your family. These programs are designed for any combination of generations: grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents and children.
HAVE QUESTIONS?
Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone?
We can help. Give us a call, and we can answer all of your questions!
Call
800-454-5768
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 |
2 expert-led lectures
14 expert-led field trips
7 hands-on experiences
An experienced Group Leader
8 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
In Transit to Program
Location:
In Flight
Activity Note
In flight
Day
2
Arrive Ponta Delgada, S Miguel Island, Check-in, Orientation
Location:
Ponta Delgada
Meals:
D
Stay:
Hotel Marina Atlantico
Activity Note
Hotel Check-in after 3.00 p.m. Ponta Delgada Airport about 5 miles from Hotel. Walking approximately 2 miles. Mostly level urban stone streets/sidewalks, unavoidable stair, cobblestones, inclines
Breakfast:
Breakfast is not included
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:
At 2:00 p.m. before check-in, we will set out on an expert-led walk around the town of Ponta Delgada learning about the city’s most important landmarks such as the Former Jesuit College chapel, the local Municipal Market, Portas da Cidade (City Gates), and the sanctuary of Senhor Santo Cristo housing the most important religious icon on the island. We will also note places of interest such as banks and ATMs, pharmacies, etc., along the route. At 3:45 p.m. we will return to the hotel for check-in. Orientation: at 6:00 p.m. join our Group Leader in a welcome cocktail (or fruit juice) greeting everyone. and leading introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions
Dinner:
Dinner at the Hotel
Evening:
At leisure. Relax and get to know your fellow participants
Day
3
Casa do Vulcao, Gruta do Carvao, Portuguese lesson
Location:
Ponta Delgada
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Hotel Marina Atlantico
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 32 miles, approximately 1.5 hours, average 25 minutes at a time, walking inside lava tube level but uneven at some parts, walking at Volcanoes Center level terrain, standing during visits.
Breakfast:
At the Hotel
Morning:
Departing the hotel by bus, we will first visit -Casa dos Vulcoes- Observatorio Vulcanologico e Geotermico dos Acores for a presentation and a guided visit by an expert introducing a variety of interesting rock formations created by volcanic activities that formed the various Azorean islands over a thousand years ago. We continue to Vila Franca do Campo were we will have our lunch
Lunch:
A picnic at a local viewpoint.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we will board the bus and drive to the outskirts of Ponta Delgada where we will descend inside - Gruta do Carvao- an empty ancient lava tube to explore its depth and learn how it was created. After the visit, we return to the Hotel to refresh before meeting in the conference room for an introduction lecture on basic words of the Portuguese language
Dinner:
Dinner at a local restaurant
Evening:
At leisure
Day
4
Marine Biologist for a Day, Lecture
Location:
Ponta Delgada
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Hotel Marina Atlantico
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus or taxis; driving a short distance - 2 miles to dock side. Getting on/off a zodiac boat navigating for approximately 2:30 hours at sea, collecting samples and research material to analyse back in the office.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Departing from the hotel, we will walk or take a short ride to meet the biologist at the office by the dock side for our information meeting and donning our kits for the day experience. After the security briefing, we board our zodiac boat to start our adventure. During the morning, we will be observing sperm whales, dolphins and probably other cetaceans, recording the sounds, collecting samples of skin, stools 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:
Lunch will be a picnic on board.
Afternoon:
After continuing our exploration, we return to base with the biologist to analyse the samples collected and learn more about maritime life and the cetaceans. Returning to the hotel, we will have some free time to enjoy the hotel pool and refresh before meeting in the conference room for a Lecture about the Azores.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
The remainder of the evening is at leisure.
Day
5
Oficina Museu, Ribeira Grande, Fire Lake
Location:
Ponta Delgada
Meals:
B,L
Stay:
Hotel Marina Atlantico
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 44 miles, approximately 2 hours, averaging 25 minutes at a time. Walking/standing for up to 30 minutes at a time, mostly level ground, paved ground, some gravel slightly uneven.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
After breakfast, we will board our bus and take a field trip to Capelas, visiting Museu das Oficinas - the Workshops Museum. We will meet the owners who will introduce their private collection. The ethnographic display is a labour of love by a couple, retired school teachers, determined to preserve for future generations memories of every craft, profession, or traditional labour from these islands and Portugal as a whole. Returning to our bus we drive to Ribeira Grande for some exploration on your own.
Lunch:
Picnic en route
Afternoon:
After our picnic, we return to the bus and drive to Miradouro do Pico da Barosa, at 899m (2.950 Ft), a viewpoint over “Lagoa do Fogo”- Fire lake. From here, you can observe the lush green vegetation surrounding the lagoon which lies inside the crater at 1886 feet wide and 98 feet deep. We will then return to our hotel in Ponta Delgada
Dinner:
Tonight’s dinner is on your own to try local restaurants.The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
6
Treetops adventure, Fumaroles, Terra Nostra Garden
Location:
Ponta Delgada
Meals:
B,L
Stay:
Hotel Marina Atlantico
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 56 miles, approximately 2 hours, averaging 40 minutes at a time. Walking, approximately 20 minutes mostly level, dirt path, earth and gravel terrain, minor inclines, steps. Some tree stumps at Fumaroles. Walking on treetops wires & bridges with safety harness.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We depart our hotel to the village of Furnas, arriving at the lake side, where we will take a 16 minutes’ walk through the forest to Treetops Adventure, where you will be able to try some of the 5 treetop routes with varying degrees of difficulty. After the adventure, we will walk back through the forest to the “Fumaroles” to watch the Cozido being retrieved from the hole underground where it has been cooking for at least 7 hours. We then proceed to a local restaurant for lunch and try the Cozido
Lunch:
At a local restaurant – Cozido
Afternoon:
After lunch, we will have a guided visit of Terra Nostra private Botanical Gardens, to learn about the endemic flora of the Azores and other species introduced to these islands from distant lands. There will be also free time at Terra Nostra Garden where you will be able to enjoy a dip into the large thermal pool, filled by spring water pouring constantly into the large pool at an average 45C. There are also three other natural smaller Jacuzzi/pools.
Dinner:
Dinner on your own to try the local restaurants. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
7
Sete Cidades, Kayak, stand-up paddle, Mosteiros pool
Location:
Ponta Delgada
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Hotel Marina Atlantico
Activity Note
Getting on/off jeeps 4X4; driving 50 miles approximately 2 hours, averaging 25 minutes at a time. Walking at your own leisure, down by the lagoon mostly level grass terrain, dirt paths, earth and gravel terrain, minor inclines. Kayaking, stand up paddling in Lagoa de Sete Cidades
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
After breakfast, we board our waiting jeeps and drive to Vista do Rei view point at 1,600ft high, offering great views over Sete Cidades and the twin Blue and Green lagoons. We will spend the morning here with the opportunity to enjoy Kayaking, stand up paddling and bicycle along the shores of the lagoons, or just walk around enjoying the scenery and nature. There will be some team activities and competitions.
Lunch:
We will enjoy a group picnic on the shores of the lagoon
Afternoon:
In the afternoon, we will stop at Mosteiros pools, to learn about the lava rock formations that created natural pools in the ocean. There will also be an opportunity to swim. Returning to Ponta Delgada, the remainder of the afternoon is at leisure.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
8
Ribeira dos Caldeiroes, Canyoning, Microbial Observatory.
Location:
Ponta Delgada
Meals:
B,L
Stay:
Hotel Marina Atlantico
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving 81 miles, approximately 2.20 hours, averaging 30 minutes at a time. Walking about at Ribeira dos Caldeiroes, level terrain, asphalt, some incline and various stairs. During Canyoning, walking over slippery rocks and uneven terrain, climbing over rocks, waterfalls, brooks and high vegetation.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
After breakfast, we will drive North East of the island to Ribeira dos Caldeiroes, a Natural Park and a protected area that stretches along the part of the water stream of Ribeira dos Caldeirões. You will see the most famous waterfall known as the Bride’s veil. After a training introduction and being fitted with your gear, we start the Canyoning adventure lasting about 2 hours through dense vegetation, climbing over rocks, along brooks, abseil down and under waterfalls and jumping into natural pools. Those not wanting to take the challenge can explore a small village and the park and its waterfalls. After the Adventure we return to our bus and drive to the Microbial Observatory of Azores (OMIC) in Furnas.
Lunch:
We will have a picnic.
Afternoon:
We will enjoy a guided visit of OMIC which promotes knowledge about biodiversity and microbial ecology, emphasizing their importance for the balance and evolution of ecosystems on Earth, with special attention to the Azorean environment and sustainability of its ecosystems. During the visit we will have an opportunity to experience a hands on researching activity helping to preserve the environment
Dinner:
Dinner on your own to try the local restaurants. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
9
Pineapple farm, Quinta do Agricultor, Farewell
Location:
Ponta Delgada
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Hotel Marina Atlantico
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 16 miles, approximately 1 hour, averaging 20 minutes at a time. Walking/standing during Pineapple farm visit on level ground. Walking stop & go about 1.5 hours at slow pace during the farm visit, over level but sometimes uneven terrain, few stairs.
Breakfast:
At the Hotel
Morning:
After our breakfast, we will check out of the hotel, board our bus and drive to Faja de Baixo to visit a local 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 will look inside greenhouses to see the plants in different stages of growth. Back to our bus, we take a short ride to Quinta do Agricultor to meet the family running this traditional Azorean farm. A member of the family will walk through the plantations explaining their crops and giving samples of some of the products grown, all organically. We will be introduced to the farm animals, probably having the opportunity to milk a cow and feed some of the animals. Arriving in front of a traditional Azorean stone house, preserved as it was in the past, we will be introduced to its contents
Lunch:
We will experience a traditional light farm lunch with some members of the family.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we return to the Hotel and the rest of the afternoon is free to enjoy the hotel pools, relax and prepare our packing for tomorrow’s departure.
Dinner:
Tonight we will have our farewell dinner.
Evening:
Prior to dinner, we will gather in the hotel bar with the Group Leader and fellow Road Scholars for a farewell drink while sharing memories of this and other Road Scholar programs. The Group Leader will also give instructions for tomorrow’s departure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning. The remainder of the evening is at leisure.
Day
10
Program ends. Departure day
Location:
Home
Meals:
B
Activity Note
The Group Leader will be at hand to advise and assist with your transfers.
Breakfast:
At the hotel followed by checkout. The Group Leader will be at hand to confirm departure instructions.
Morning:
After breakfast time is at leisure. Checkout time is 11:00am. Your Group Leader will be at hand to assist and advise on your transfer to the airport according to your group flight time. 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 login in to the Tripcast album created by your Group Leader and load you pictures to share with your fellow participants the memorable moments you have registered of this exciting Road Scholar experience, and to join our Facebook page and the and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys
Lunch:
Lunch is on your own if your departure is in the afternoon or evening. This meal is left out of your program.
Afternoon:
If your flight is in the afternoon/evening, you can enjoy the hotel pools and spa facilities until time to depart Your Group Leader will be advising and assisting with transfers to the airport according to your flight time.
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MEALS
20 Meals
8 Breakfasts
7 Lunches
5 Dinners
LODGING
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- Aug 08, 2025 - Aug 17, 2025
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- Jul 23, 2025 - Aug 01, 2025
- Aug 08, 2025 - Aug 17, 2025
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