Azores to Britain - A Voyage from Sao Miguel to Portsmouth

Fly by scheduled indirect flight. Arrive this afternoon and transfer to the MS Island Sky for embarkation. Enjoy welcome drinks and dinner as we sail this evening.

This morning explore Angra do Heroismo, a charming UNESCO heritage town with a distinct Mediterranean flavour of cobblestone streets and a certain quiet charm. Enjoy a walking tour that takes in the Misericordia Church, Convent do Sao Francisco, the public gardens and museum. In the afternoon there will be free time to hike to Monte Brasil, offering wonderful views over the island, or alternatively relax and wander the historic town at your own pace.

Known as the ‘White Island’, Graciosa has a gentle rolling landscape, dotted with windmills and traditional whitewashed houses. Visit Furna do Enxofre (‘Cave of Sulphur’), a geologically unique phenomenon and one of the original examples of the volcanic Azores, and take the winding stairway down to the magnificent volcanic cavern and lake. Also see the village of Santa Cruz and the charming Matrix Church. Return to the ship for lunch and spend the afternoon at leisure to explore the small town of Vila da Praia.

Named after its abundant flora, Flores is often regarded as the prettiest of the Azores. A rugged terrain island with flowers growing in the deep canyons and waterfalls casting hues of blues and green as they splash down to the sea. Visit the vertical basalt cliffs of Rocha do Bordoes, formed by the cooling of lava. See a stunning array of natural features including calderas, fajas, rivers, waterfalls and valleys. This afternoon we will use our small ship to circumnavigate the tiny island of Corvo, the smallest island in the archipelago.

This largely rural island is of geographical interest with its cliff shoreline marked with flat fajas sweeping to the sea. We start our full day tour on the western part of the island, Ponta dos Rosais, visiting a Forest Park and cheese factory. As we move to the north we enjoy the view over the Fajas, an area of flat land at sea level resulting from the erosion of cliffs. As we make our way to the south side towards Calheta we will stop for lunch at a local restaurant before continuing on to Urzelina to visit the remaining tower of a church buried under lava from the eruption of 1808. Now it is surrounded by fruit trees and vegetation. Upon our return to Velas we will take a walking tour of this charming old-world harbour town. We remain moored overnight for anyone wishing to take an after dinner stroll.

Explore distinctive Pico, home to Portugal’s highest peak and numerous black lava flows. The UNESCO-designated Lajido Acros tells the story of early winemakers who used the volcanic soil for the grapes and, on a visit to a vineyard, we will enjoy a tasting of the local product. After a typical Azorean lunch we will learn about whaling life in the Azores at the Museum of Lajes returning to the ship via the Lagoa do Capitao offering views over the north of the island.

Our day begins with an island drive where we explore the fairly recent volcanic activity at Ponta dos Capelinhos. See how a 1957-1958 volcanic eruption transformed the area and created a new land mass. Visit the Volcano Interpretation Centre before continuing to the impressive Caldera, now a nature reserve, which is 400 metres deep and nearly 1500 metres in diameter. This afternoon a walking tour of Horta will include the Scrimshaw Museum and Cafe Peter, a famous stopping point for sailors crossing the Atlantic.

Enjoy a full day exploring the island of Sao Miguel, known as Ilha Verde, the green island and home to some of the most stunning viewpoints in the Azores. This morning we head west towards the Sete Cidades volcano from where we can enjoy excellent views over the Lagos de Canarios. We will continue our drive along the attractive northern coast before arriving in the Furnas Valley, an enormous valley and luxuriant garden in the east of the island where we enjoy lunch. We will also visit the village of Furnas and the botanical gardens before returning to the ship and sailing this evening. For the keen hikers, if weather permits, we will arrange to walk the trail in Sete Cidades.

Relax on board as we sail to the Iberian Peninsula. Take in a lecture in the lounge or maybe find a spot on deck to watch for wildlife.

Arriving in Galicia over lunch we will discover the ‘Rias Baixas’ which translates as low estuaries. This afternoon we drive the short distance to the Pazo de Rubianes which was originally founded in 1411 and was one of the three official lordships in Spain. Enjoy a guided walk through the stunning gardens, famous for their thousands of camellias but also home to eucalyptus trees, sequoias and camphors. Also visit the Pazo’s extensive vineyards to learn about the local Albarino wine production and enjoy a tasting before exploring the historical palace itself.

Today we visit Santiago de Compostela, the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia. The city’s cathedral is the destination of the important Medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St James (in Spanish the ‘Camino de Santiago’), which is still walked today. For those keen to walk some of the route there will be the opportunity to hike a short section towards Santiago. Otherwise transfer directly to the site where we will visit the Conventual de San Francisco, the Faculty of Medicine and the world-famous Plaza del Obradoiro. Inside the cathedral, we will visit the Romanic crypt and see the facade of Platerias; the Quintana Plaza; House of Parra; facade of Azabachería; and the facade of San Martin Pinario. Enjoy lunch at a Parador and some free time before returning to the ship and sailing this evening.

Spend the day at sea as we continue our journey north.

Arrive this morning on Guernsey, the ‘Island of Flowers’, and take a panoramic drive during which we will see the beautiful coastline and beaches and visit the Little Chapel, built in 1914 as a miniature version of the famous basilica at Lourdes and covered in fragments of shattered china. Return to the ship for lunch and the afternoon is free to explore the pretty town of St Peter Port or maybe join a walk along one of the cliff paths where, if the weather is fine, we should be able to see the nearby Channel Islands and possibly the French coast. Please note that we will be at anchor today and will use the vessel’s Zodiacs to transfer ashore.

Disembark this morning. Transfers will be provided to Portsmouth Harbour Railway Station and our departure London airport at a fixed time.

Itineraries are subject to change.