On this private, luxury food and wine tour, explore the Azores island of São Miguel- Europe's secret Garden of Eden
Portugal’s remote Azores archipelago of 9 islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean are, extraordinarily in this information age, still something of a best-kept secret. The landscapes are simply magnificent here, on a par with Hawaii, with turquoise crater lakes, lava caves, waterfalls, gurgling geysers, volcanic beaches, and subtropical flora of ferns, hibiscus, and bird of paradise. You will find surprising and exotic passionfruit, tea, and pineapple plantations. Fields of blue hydrangeas and azaleas extend through gentle pastures up the green volcanoes, capped in a shroud of wispy clouds. The bucolic coastal and mountain villages are low rise and have pretty red-roofed traditional Portuguese colonial architecture with whitewashed facades.
While so many other beautiful islands might have been tempted to give in to overdevelopment, the Azores have thankfully taken a long term sustainable approach and have opted for marine preservations, renewable energy, and protected biospheres. The feeling you have when visiting the Azores is of total peace. You are away from it all here, and this is the perfect retreat destination to recharge, with epic nature and plenty of personal space. It is an irresistible place to engage your senses, breathe in the clean, salty air, and create lifelong memories.
On this wonderful food, wine, and nature-themed private tour, your base will be the Azorean island of São Miguel. Your adventure begins in Ponta Delgada, where you will be staying in a private villa with your heated saltwater pool, within a small and exclusive luxury resort perched right over the ocean. Over the next few exciting days, you will take an exhilarating trip to the open sea to observe sperm whales, dolphins, and other marine life. You will admire fantastic scenery on an exciting 4X4 ride with private expert guides to volcanic lagoons and majestic mountain tops, and you will enjoy sublime experiences like a private wine picnic overlooking the mesmerizing coastline. Contact us for more info on this enchanting private tour in the Azores, Jewel of the Atlantic!
Azores Food & Wine Tours Highlights:
- Exclusive, private luxury Food and Wine Tour of São Miguel, Azores
- Private Whale and Dolphin watching Experience
- 4X4 Safari Tours of volcanic parks with Crater Lakes, Waterfalls and Mountains
- Professional & elegant bilingual Driver Guide
- Unique culinary experiences- Azorean wine masterclass, market tour with food tastings, historic tea plantation, gourmet picnic, cooking workshop, and more
Below is a suggested Itinerary for your private Azores Food & Wine Tours
-
Ponta Delgada airport - Lagoa do Fogo - Gorreana - Ponta Delgada
Bem vindos aos Açores! Welcome!
Your Private Villa Suite - Luxury Private Serviced Villa, Ponta Delgada
- Food and wine walking tour lunch, wine masterclass, casual dinner with wines
- Private Chauffeured Mercedes
Arrive Ponta Delgada airport on São Miguel island today. Your private chauffeur will collect you by luxury Mercedes and settle into your private villa. Freshen up and then meet your friendly local guide who will lead you on a private food and wine walking tour of this very charming Azorean town. You will visit the buzzy market and hear anecdotes about the African and European culinary influences and unique ingredients that have shaped the food culture in the Azores. Lunch will be an entertaining food and wine walking tour. You’ll make many fun and tasty stops with your guide at artisan purveyors of delicious local fruits, Mel dos Açores (wildflower honey made from the nectar of avocado and guava flowers), fresh-baked Bolo Lêvedo bread (akin to English muffins, delicious), São Miguel black rind cheese, “grilled lapas” (“limpets,” similar to clams), tender “bife” (local, mouthwatering steak), Fofas da Povoação (Azorean eclairs!), local wines, and more. Your guide will show you how and what the locals cook and dine, and you will gain a historical context on this short but fascinating tour. Very entertaining.
After lunch, switch gears and get ready for some fabulous scenery and fresh air. Your driver-guide will sweep you away to Lagoa do Fogo, the wondrous “ Lagoon of Fire.” On a private 4X4 “safari” with your local expert guide, you will take in some of the most spectacular vistas of your life. You’ll see emerald hills, the crater lake, and thermal hot springs of Ribeira Grande and Caldeira Velha (complete with fern shaded natural swimming pools and warm waterfalls). The lush setting feels like a movie set for an elf kingdom! After the panoramic views and photo ops, we have another treat in store- a visit to Europe’s oldest tea plantation! Gorreana has been cultivating tea since the 1880s, and you will have the opportunity to visit their scenic estate with its exotic flora and sea views and fun little museum (with original machinery dating to the 1800s). The tasting of freshly picked tea is a million miles away from industrial supermarket tea, what a pleasure.
After this interesting visit, you will head back to Ponta Delgada to rest and freshen up before the evening’s activities. You will sit down to a fun and informative Portuguese & Azorean wine masterclass at a cozy wine bar lined with an extensive wine library. This will get your palate tickled before heading to a fantastic dinner at Adega do Mestre André. This quaint, romantic, little wine tavern is just perfect for your first evening. Taste a number of local specialties in “petisco style” serving dishes, like black pudding with pineapple, roasted chourizo with potatoes and mushrooms, grilled octopus, and red onions, and fresh calamari- accompanied by great wine, of course. Welcome to the Azores! After dinner, unwind with a digestif overlooking the ocean at your luxurious private seafront couple’s villa, complete with your little pool.
-
Ponta Delgada - Sete Cidades - Fenais da Luz - Ponta Delgada
Sete Cidades Adventure Tour and Azorean Wine Experience
Lake of Sete Cidades - Luxury Private Serviced Villa, Ponta Delgada
- Full Breakfast, Picnic Lunch with wine, Three-course Dinner with wines
- Chauffeured Luxury SUV
Your driver-guide will pick you up this morning, after a terrific breakfast, and you have an unforgettable adventure in store. You will be whisked away on a thrilling jeep ride northwest up to Sete Cidades, classified as one of the “Natural Wonders of Portugal.” The Caldeira das Sete Cidades (crater basin of the seven towns) is a geological wonder spread like a giant bowl over 12 kilometers wide. It was formed by a prehistoric volcanic eruption that was further changed to its current state in a massive eruption in the 15th century. Today you will visit the darling hamlet of Sete Cidades, the twin volcanic lagoons (one with blue water, the other with green water), the dreamy lakes of Lagoa das Empadadas and Lagoa de Santiago, and you’ll enjoy some gentle walks and stunning lookout points along the way. Don’t forget the camera!
By late morning, you will be starving after this exhilarating tour. In a private, panoramic location in beautiful nature with dazzling views, a gourmet picnic awaits! Your charming picnic basket will have a traditional Azorean spread with goodies like cinnamon cake, queijadas milk tartlets, homemade passionfruit jam and chutney, semi-cured goat’s cheese, pork pâté, chocolate beetroot cake, and pineapple rolls with black pudding. You will have great wine and nice stemware. Continue the wine tasting at a delightful boutique winery, Quinta da Jardinete, where you will be hosted by the owner on a private tour and tasting and learn all about their rare, volcanic wines. This is an intimate visit, great! Before heading back to the villa, we have one more fun activity in-store today- a private cooking demo of the “cozido das Furnas.” This is a traditional stew cooked by boiling steam escaping from the Furnas fumaroles, which you will be exploring deeper tomorrow. Enjoy snacks and wines as part of the fun. Tomorrow you will get to taste the cozido you prepare this afternoon!
The evening is yours to relax and dine in at your villa resort or venture out to one of our fave restaurants like Tasquinha Vieira, a stylish eatery offering fresh, mainly organic Portuguese and Azorean cuisine and serving it with a contemporary twist.
-
Ponta Delgada - Furnas - Ribeira Quente - Ponta Delgada
Volcanic Lakes and Geysers of Furnas, “Cozido das Furnas” Food Experience
Fresh Azorean fish - Ponta Delgada - Furnas - Ribeira Quente - Ponta Delgada
- Full Breakfast, Cooking demo lunch with wine, Dinner with wine flight
- Chauffeured Luxury SUV
You will have free time after breakfast to enjoy your villa facilities and chillax today. In the late morning, you will head towards the eastern side of the island with your driver-guide to Furnas, one of the most enchanting locations on the island. This extraordinary location is quite literally a “hotspot” of volcanic activity. There is a peaceful lake, bubbling geysers, and hot springs called “fumaroles” that you can observe on a gentle walkway. The lush setting of ferns, cycad palms, and thousands year old Ginkgo biloba trees, along with the sound of the water and boiling mud pools, is reminiscent of Jurassic Park. You will be blown away by this natural phenomenon! On a 4X4 tour, your knowledgeable local guide will show you the best private spots and islets for breathtaking video and photo opportunities and explain the geothermal marvel you are witnessing.
Lunch is going to be extremely memorable today- the slow-cooked lunch that you started in the cooking demo yesterday, the final end result of the “cozido das Furnas”. This authentic Azorean dish is literally cooked by the actual volcanic steam of one of the amazing fumaroles!! You will have chosen in advance what type of cozido- the meat cozido (a macho meal of beef, pork, chicken, chorizo sausage and black pudding, along with root vegetables) or fish cozido (made with cod or hake, squid, potato, onion, garlic, and olives- our personal fave). This experience is a spectacle and life-affirming! After lunch, then you will spend the afternoon exploring the area between Furnas and Ribeira Quente (“Hot River”), including beautiful beaches with notably warm water thanks to the gulf stream.
Dinner will be on the way back to your villa, at a darling seafood restaurant, served al fresco. Try Azorean tuna, bluemouth rockfish, blue Jack mackerel, wreckfish, grilled octopus, and more depending on what’s market-fresh. This being Portugal, you will enjoy the usual accompaniments of marinated olives, local cheese, and delicious fresh bread, and an upscale wine flight. Your driver will take you back villa after dinner, and you will feel well with the world!
-
Ponta Delgada - Boat Trip - Ponta Delgada
Private Whale Watching Adventure & Fine Dining
Gourmet dining - Luxury Private Serviced Villa, Ponta Delgada
- Full Breakfast, Gourmet dinner with wine pairings
- Chauffeured Luxury SUV
We have saved the best for last today. You cannot visit the Azores without taking advantage of getting (respectfully and responsibly) close to see the spectacular sea life here. Unbelievably, one-third of the world’s whale and dolphin species live year-round or migrate through the Azores islands. And thanks to the inspired marine management in place, the Azores archipelago is effectively our planet’s largest whale sanctuary! Throughout the year, in São Miguel, you can observe dignified sperm whales and friendly and playful bottlenose dolphins. Then, depending on the time of year, you can also have the once in a lifetime chance to see blue whales and humpback whales, not to mention sei whales, baleen whales, pilot whales, beaked whales, striped dolphins and spotted dolphins- to name a few! Along with cetaceans, you’ll see colonies of sea birds, turtles, and big game fish.
Your driver will take you to the pier this morning, where you will board a private Zodiac boat with your skipper and personal marine wildlife expert guide. Get ready for an incredible adventure! Spend the morning visiting the alluring coastline and bays, as well as the open sea, all with fascinating explanations and amusing anecdotes as you encounter the various aquatic animals. You will also be provided with snorkeling equipment on board. Weather and interest permitting, you will be able to visit secluded beaches, swim and snorkel, and experience the island’s tropical coastal fauna and flora.
The rest of the afternoon will be at leisure to relax at your villa, go shopping or swimming, grab a bite for lunch on your own, etc. Dinner tonight then is fine dining, romantic affair at Chandelier Restaurant Bar. In a spacious, stylish corner, you will be served a creative and fun tasting menu, all paired with top Portuguese wines.
-
Ponta Delgada airport transfer
Boa Viagem! Safe journey onwards
Boa Viagem! - None
- Full Breakfast
- Private Chauffeured Mercedes
Your elegant Chauffeur will transfer you by comfortable Mercedes to Ponta Delgada airport for your outbound flight. We can gladly plan an extension to this tour on mainland Portugal, contact us for more information! We hope you had a thrilling time on this food and wine luxury adventure in the Azores. We look forward to seeing you again!