Explore Tropical Islands 1,000 Miles Off the Coast of Portugal

On this 7-day vacation you’ll explore the beautiful Azores islands, located 1,000 miles off the coast of Portugal in the North Atlantic. The exotic islands are bursting with flora and fauna, hot springs, and lakes filling volcanic calderas. This vacation includes:

• Round-trip airfare from Boston (BOS)
• 6 nights of standard accommodations at São Miguel Park Hotel (February, March, and April) or Hotel Açores Atlântico (May and June) in Azores
• Daily breakfast
• Each passenger is allowed to transport one checked baggage with 23kg (50lbs) and one volume carry-on baggage up to 8kg (17lbs) not exceeding 55cm x 40cm x 20cm.

São Miguel Island, Azores: Endemic Flora, Hot Springs, and Cobblestone Streets

Roughly 1,000 miles off Portugal’s shores sit the Azores, a cluster of nine volcanic islands that bask in sunny weather all year round. The largest of these is São Miguel Island, aptly dubbed the Green Island. It’s practically overrun with exotic flora and dense tropical foliage. And where the ground isn’t carpeted in greenery, you can find hot springs and fumaroles venting clouds of steam into the air. Calderas—large volcanic craters—are another prominent feature of the landscape. São Miguel Island has several, including one ancient-and-towering caldera that’s filled with the twin Sete Cidades lakes. You can explore the island via marked hiking trails. Ponta Delgada’s António Borges Botanical Gardens is also a good spot to see a lot of the rare local plants, including sinuous indian rubber trees.

As São Miguel Island’s major city, Ponta Delgada draws much of the tourist traffic—and for good reason. The city’s cobblestone streets are lined with stately Baroque buildings, including the São Sebastião Catholic church, a 16th-century masterpiece with accents of rare brazilian wood and actual gold thread on the inside. The Gorreana Tea estate is among the oldest of Europe’s few tea plantations. On tours of the plantation, you can learn about tea production from the estate’s rolling fields and sample fresh Azorean green tea in the tearoom.

Hotels

On this vacation, you’ll stay in one of two possible hotels. Read on to learn more about each.

São Miguel Park Hotel

São Miguel Park Hotel is tucked away from the city center. You can relax in the hot tub or kick back by an outdoor pool or sunlit indoor pool surrounded by walls of windows. The intimate onsite restaurant is decorated in beige hues; it specializes in regional cuisine, served both à la carte and buffet style. The spread might include exotic fruits and vegetables as well as fresh grilled seafood.

Hotel Açores Atlântico

Hotel Açores Atlântico looks out over the bay just less than 10 minutes from downtown. The heated indoor pool ensures a perfect swim no matter the weather and the sauna makes a great place to relax. Rooms come equipped with free WiFi (plus a minibar and hairdryer). When hunger strikes, Barcola Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily or you can head to the Clipper Bar for a cocktail.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How much would it cost to fly from an airport not listed as part of this deal? A Groupon must be purchased from the available options. To add on a different airport to connect with the cities listed prices will vary with availability.

2. Can we extend our trip before or after the promotional dates for the deal? The offer is for the selected periods only. SATA cannot guarantee air availability or hotel accommodation outside of these periods.

3. How do I find out if the dates I want to travel are available? Please send an e-mail to azores.express@sata.pt or call Azores Express at 800-762-9995.

4. What happens if I buy the Groupon and my travel dates are not available? Your Groupon will be refunded.

5. Does my child need a Groupon, and can they stay in my room? Yes, each person needs a Groupon. Rooms can accommodate up to 3 people.

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