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Dive the Azores, São Miguel Island

10 Nights/11 Days

Destination:

• The Azores Archipelago, Portugal
• São Miguel
• Ponta Delgada airport (PDL)

Length of stay:

• Eleven days / ten nights

Summary:

The island of São Miguel is the largest in the Azores, forming the Eastern Group of the Archipelago, with the island of Santa Maria 81km away.

Its settlement began in 1444 in Povoação and then Vila Franca do Campo, the island's first capital. Later moved to Ponta Delgada, currently the regional government and seat of the provincial government of the Azores.

Overlooking a natural bay, the city of Ponta Delgada has a rich history and architectural heritage. The Portas da Cidade (City Gates) are the perfect starting point for exploring the city. They are quickly identified by their three arches that link the seafront area and the Praça da República. Note the typical architecture that emphasizes the contrast between the white walls and the details in basalt, embellished with lacy iron balconies.

A walk by the sea to the marina will take you to the "Portas do Mar", where in addition to the cruise ship pier, you can enjoy an ocean swimming pool and an area with several bars, all providing some delightful moments of leisure.

Details of program

São Miguel Island will be your base camp for the next 11 days. The idea is to dive into this incredible crystal-clear water 14 times.

These are some of the dive spots you will most probably dive.

The first one is called Dori.

"Dori", a 130mts ship that participated in the military Operation Overlord. She rests at about 20mts of depth on a sandy bottom and is one of the most popular dive spots in the Azores archipelago.

Here inhabit several species, such as Morays, Octopuses and nudibranchs that refuge in the shipwreck structure.

We can also see fish strolling near the rudder, propeller and lookouts, such as Barracudas and Amberjacks.

Dori is indeed a fantastic dive, not to be missed!

There are many others, but Arcos da Caloura is another spot you will probably dive.

The Caloura Arches are situated in a protected bay and between 5mts and 18mts deep. It is an excellent place for all types of dives, including snorkelling.

The top, at 5mts deep, descends to 16mts, where we can find one of the four entrances for the main attraction of this place: an imposing cave where we can observe shoals of fish and some residents Groupers. On the other hand, the cave roof is regularly filled by dozens of nudibranchs of different species.

We find dozens of small species around the cave, such as Pufferfish, Kingfish, Plaice, Salemas, and Yellow-Damselfish.

Visiting São Miguel

The East-side tour will take you to the south coast of the island. At Vila Franca do Campo, once the first capital of the Azores, you will visit the famous Queijadas da Vila factory.

After tasting this famous pastry, the tour goes to the Furnas Valley, along the banks of the romantic lagoon, where you are surprised by how "Cozido à Portuguesa" is cooked — in the ground. You will see, berried, what you will have for lunch.

After lunch, the hot springs area, with its fumaroles and springs of thermal and mineral water, from where the group proceeds, ascending to the viewpoint of Pico do Ferro, where you enjoy this superb view over the crater that surrounds the Furnas valley.

Continuing along the north coast — the tea factory, the unique tea plantation site in Europe, where you can enjoy the beautiful view of the tea plantation and the north coast, sipping a cup of tea. Returning to Ponta Delgada, a stop at the viewpoint of Santa Iria, with an idyllic view of the island's north coast.

Next experience: whale watching.

In the Azores, you can observe 27 species of cetaceans throughout the year, always in the company of a professional team of skippers, biologists and lookouts. Before leaving for the sea, a briefing on cetaceans, sighting methods, safety rules and the code of ethics for observing cetaceans in the Azores.

With the help of lookouts strategically placed on the island's south coast, the boat sets out to meet these unique beings on a fun, adventure, discovery, and scientific knowledge journey. We will provide you with an unforgettable experience in just a few hours!

Download detailed itinerary

COST: pricing on request

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