Azores - a natural paradise in the Atlantic

Arrival 14.00 hrs

The 2,351 metre high volcano Ponta de Pico is the highest mountain in Portugal and majestically dominates the shape of the island. Dominated by the mountain, Pico has little flat coastal land, but this is all the more beautiful: many small harbours and walled fields form a contrast to the wild and romantic mountain backdrop. Laurel, juniper, heather and wine grow on the green island, protected by kilometres of lava walls. The island's wine-growing culture has even been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Pico, once the centre of whaling, now has two whaling museums and is the starting point for whale watching, as numerous sperm whales populate the sea around the island.

Departure 07.00 am

The 2,351 metre high volcano Ponta de Pico is the highest mountain in Portugal and majestically dominates the shape of the island. Dominated by the mountain, Pico has little flat coastal land, but this is all the more beautiful: many small harbours and walled fields form a contrast to the wild and romantic mountain backdrop. Laurel, juniper, heather and wine grow on the green island, protected by kilometres of lava walls. The island's wine-growing culture has even been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Pico, once the centre of whaling, now has two whaling museums and is the starting point for whale watching, as numerous sperm whales populate the sea around the island.

Horta/Faial/Azores
Arrival 08.00 hrs, departure 23.00 hrs

Horta was an early link between the Old and New Worlds and is the most international place in the archipelago. The harbour is a hive of colourful activity, with almost every yacht that sails across the Atlantic stopping off in Horta. And so its famous harbour presents itself as the most colourful marina in the world: the quay walls are a kind of guest book for skippers, who have immortalised themselves here for decades with a painting or a dedication. The Azores last proved their volcanic origins in 1957, when the Capelinhos volcano suddenly erupted from the sea. The caldera has a diameter of two kilometres and Faial became 2.4 square kilometres larger. Today, the area is a picturesque and bizarre spot.

Arrival 08.00 hrs, departure 13.30 hrs

Graciosa, the second smallest island in the Azores, boasts the most extraordinary natural phenomena in the archipelago. The huge sulphur cave, Furna do Enxofre, in the dark heart of the Caldeira, offers insights into the underworld: a large, steaming lake, 15 metres deep, spreads out in an 80 metre high volcanic cave, which is fascinatingly illuminated by the breaking daylight. Cereals, fruit and wine thrive on the island's fertile soil and areas only slightly protected from the wind by lava quarrystone walls. Windmills with red bonnets are now the landmark of this lovely island.

Arrival 08.00 hrs, departure 18.00 hrs

Two fortresses guarding the harbour, magnificent Renaissance façades, colourful little houses, churches and palaces - the old town of Angra do Heroísmo is considered a jewel of Portuguese Renaissance architecture and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A stroll through the historic centre is like a stroll through time: as the oldest city in the Azores, it was granted city rights in 1474 and was even the capital of Portugal for three years from 1580. In its heyday, as a centre of overseas trade, it was an important hub between three continents for centuries.

Arrival 2.00 pm, departure 7.00 pm

Santa Maria, with its small capital Vila do Porto, is the third smallest and southernmost island of the archipelago and, unlike the other islands of the Azores, is not of volcanic origin. Although it is lush and green, like all the Azores islands, it has its very own, gentler, almost Mediterranean character. Nature is gentler, the land appears more hilly and is characterised by green forests, steep terraced vineyards, banana plantations, lush meadows and a sea of flowers. Santa Maria, a fair-weather dream, is the only island in the Azores with wide, white sandy beaches.

Staying, releasing ropes, setting sails - today is all about sailing. Time to sit back and relax in the deckchair and watch the crew doing real manual labour.

Staying, releasing ropes, setting sails - today is all about sailing. Time to sit back and relax in the deckchair and watch the crew doing real manual labour.

Arrival 1.30 pm

The island of eternal spring with its year-round mild climate and a whole network of man-made irrigation channels is a blooming garden with green mountains, lovely valleys, wild coastlines and breathtaking views of the sea. Lush hydrangeas form flowering hedges along the streets and every balcony in the capital Funchal is covered in colourful flowers. The houses and palaces, churches and monasteries nestle in steep, winding alleyways on the towering mountain slopes. The picturesque Monte, once the home of the nobility and the rich, sits enthroned in the hills and from here sends its famous basket sledges down the steep Caminho to Funchal.

The island of eternal spring with its year-round mild climate and a whole network of man-made irrigation channels is a blooming garden with green mountains, lovely valleys, wild coastlines and breathtaking views of the sea. Lush hydrangeas form flowering hedges along the streets and every balcony in the capital Funchal is covered in colourful flowers. The houses and palaces, churches and monasteries nestle in steep, winding alleyways on the towering mountain slopes. The picturesque Monte, once the home of the nobility and the rich, sits enthroned in the hills and from here sends its famous basket sledges down the steep Caminho to Funchal.