AZORES CRUISES with PONANT

Book one of our Ponant Azores Cruises and visit a part of Western Europe that is both breathtaking and stunning.

Approximately 1,500 kilometers from the Portuguese coast, there are nine islands that spring up from the Atlantic Ocean. Their name is the Azores, which also means "goshawk", a fitting title as poetic as the steep and verdant landscapes of the archipelago, covered with hydrangeas in summer. This corner is a paradise, to which sailors have long been drawn to for generations.

Few would queston you if you compared the Azores to parts of Scotland. The green pastures, the meadows, the lakes are reminiscent of those of the Highlands. But in the Azores , we are in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. These nine islands benefiting from a temperate climate thanks to the Gulf Stream are among those jewels that have been able to prosper in the heart of the blue immensity.  

A geothermal tour - São Miguel Island

Ponta Delgada is the economic capital of the Azores and is located on São Miguel. Of the city, we will especially remember the gates of the sea and the gates of the city, the pleasant romantic garden António Borges or the fort São Brás, witness of its past as an essential port on the Atlantic routes. But São Miguel is also famous for the Furnas Valley . With more than 20 thermal springs, this locality is one of the largest geothermal cities in the world. It is also impossible to miss the volcanic lakes of Sete Cidades or the Lagoa do Fogo . The panoramas of these crater lakes sometimes lined with fields, sometimes with lush vegetation never leave you indifferent.

São Lourenço Bay - Santa Maria Island

81 kilometers south of the island of São Miguel, Santa Maria is known for its landforms and its incredible São Lourenço bay . Resembling half a crater and offering a waterfront like no other, it is covered in terraced vines. From a distance, they seem to fall almost straight into the sea. A very photogenic setting! Once on Santa Maria Island, you might as well take a detour to the small village of Anjos and the Ermida Senhora dos Anjos chapel. It is here that Christopher Columbus would have attended a mass during his return trip from America.

Hiking in volcanoes - Faial Island

Faial may be nicknamed "the blue island", but it is still volcanic. For those wanting to stretch their sea legs, this a wonderful hike to see it. To the west of the island, the peninsula of Capelo is the starting point of a path that allows you to go around the volcanic cone Cabeço Verde and offers a view of the other cones, such as Cabeço do Fogo or Morro de Castello Branco. On the way, the Furna Ruim lava cave with a depth of 55 meters and the view of the Capelinhos volcano are sure to make an impression. Especially since he was the author of the last eruption in the Azores, from 1957 to 1958!

Set sail in Horta - Faial Island

After discovering the volcanic face of Faial, a tour of its capital, Horta , is a amazing. A quiet little town today, it was an important trading post between the 16th and 18th centuries. In its port were crowded caravels and other galleons preparing to cross the Atlantic. Horta was known to everyone: not stopping there would have brought bad luck to sailors on board, as evidenced by its marina . It is covered with frescoes painted by all those who wished to obtain protection before their journey. The Scrimshaw Museum also houses a collection of sculptures depicting whaling scenes, recalling that the Azores were also a major hunting ground in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Stunning views of the Faial Cadera

Enjoy one of the most bucolic walks to do in the Azores. Culminating at nearly 1,000 meters above sea level, the Caldera is one of the unmissable natural sites of the island of Faial. A path allows you to go around it and observe the bottom, 365 meters below. With vertical walls covered with short vegetation, it offers a splendid panorama on one side. On the other, the view of the hill covered with blue hydrangeas (depending on the season) and gently sloping down to the ocean is breathtaking.

Relax on Graciosa Island

Nicknamed the "eighth island of the Canaries", Graciosa , the "graceful", is the northernmost island of the central group of the Azores. It is also one of the most preserved of the archipelago and classified as a world biosphere reserve by Unesco . Here the vines and fields are surrounded by basalt stone walls. The black rock is also omnipresent: in the villages or in the wild. Jagged cliffs, scree, peaks... it contrasts with the fields, the surrounding nature and the clarity of the water which, under the rays of the sun, takes on turquoise hues.

Natural swimming pools of Sao Jorge Island 

A cliff rising from the water. This, in a few words, is the particularity of São Jorge , 54 kilometers long, 6.9 wide and 1,000 meters high. Inevitably, one often has the impression that the slopes of the island, covered with pastures and hydrangeas in the summer, descend straight into the ocean. But São Jorge marvels above all for its fajãs , these flat land areas, on the seafront and on the side of cliffs. These are the result of lava flows that have entered the sea or landslides and rocks. There are natural swimming pools that invite you to swim in an extraordinary natural setting.

Pico Island - the highest peak in Portugal

It often hides in the clouds. But when the mist clears, Mount Pico appears in all its glory. This 120,000 year old volcanic cone is the highest peak in Portugal. It culminates at 2,351 meters and dominates picturesque landscapes. Among them, the vast vineyards bordered by dry stone walls , are classified as World Heritage by Unesco. It is reached by a red dirt path. The color contrasts are striking, the fullness that assails the hiker is great!

BOOK WITH BLUESUN TRAVEL

BlueSun Cruises is a Ponant West Atlantic Islands and Azores Cruise specialist. We offer a huge variety of cruise ships. Feel free to click on the two links below to discover other amazing criuse and travel deals too.

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