Shuttle to São Miguel’s dazzling northern coast and hike a rugged coast frequented by seabirds • Stop in the shorefront town of Maia for your first taste of Azorean specialties at a family-run restaurant • Explore Europe’s oldest tea plantation, trekking its terraced hillsides • Roam the southwest coast, along a eucalyptus-lined trail to a waterfall finale • Relax with a soak in the Furnas Valley, where mineral-rich hot-water pools are everywhere (including our hotel).

Take in the twin jewel-toned lakes of Sete Cidades from a lofty mirador (viewpoint) high above the crater • Trace the caldera rim on a path fringed with ferns and hydrangeas in various shades of pink, blue and violet • Drop into seaside Mosteiros, known for black-sand shores and naturally carved swimming pools, and enjoy lunch with ocean views • Follow bluffs where basalt formations and crashing surf speak to the island’s wild, volcanic nature • Settle into our hotel, overlooking lively Ponta Delgada, a historic harbor city.

Wing west to Terceira, home to the most native forests anywhere in the archipelago • An adega (winery) welcomes us for our midday meal and a tasting of island whites—this is Vinho Verde country, after all! • Ascend sweeping coastal trails, past pastures and drystone walls to a 3,500-foot peak with incredible 360-degree views • Explore Angra do Heroísmo, a 15th-century UNESCO World Heritage city, with a local guide • Spend a morning in the misty laurel and cedarwoods, bird-watching and climbing Pico Negrão • Sample dishes like chouriço and sour pudding and then spend time traversing the coast, with views out to neighboring islands and waters home to resident sperm whales.