• Visit subtropical Madeira and five volcanic islands from the three geographical groups of the Azores: São Miguel (Eastern), Terceira, Faial & Pico (Central) & Flores (Western).
• Spend 6 nights in Funchal, capital of Madeira. Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the city is framed by a dramatic backdrop of cloud-tipped mountains and features a wealth of historic monuments.
• Explore Madeira’s abundance of colourful and exotic flora in its parks and gardens including the Quinta do Palheiro and Monte Palace Tropical Gardens; walk some of Madeira’s scenic levada (man-made irrigation channels); and view the Laurisilva of Madeira, the largest surviving area of laurel forest containing a unique suite of flora and fauna including many endemic species.
• Meet Raimundo Quintal, Madeira’s leading environmentalist and author of numerous books including the Levadas and Footpaths of Madeira; we visit the Santo da Serra Environmental Education Camp to learn about the conservation and recovery of the native Laurisilva forest.
• On São Miguel view the spectacular volcanic caldera: Lagoa das Sete Cidades which consists of two lagoons – the Green Lagoon and the Blue Lagoon, and at the historically active volcanic complex of Furnas, view the verdant Parque Terra Nostra and the bubbling fumaroles. By special appointment, visit the spectacular garden located on a cliff surrounded by sea on all sides, designed by Belgian landscape architect Erik Dhont.
• On Terceira visit the UNESCO World Heritage port town of Angra do Heroísmo featuring a formidable 16th-century fortress and a pristine Renaissance old town. We also descend to the island’s core at Algar do Carvão, a 90m-deep volcanic lava tube.
• Flores, well known for its abundance of flowers, is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. View the Poça da Ribeira do Ferreiro – a lagoon formed by a dozen waterfalls streaming down lush cliffs.
• Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture: a remarkable man-made landscape of volcanic walls dating to the 15th century, built to protect the thousands of small, contiguous, rectangular plots from wind and seawater.
• On Faial view the beautiful ashen landscape of Capelinhos, the last volcano to erupt in the Azores in 1958; visit the lighthouse, now the Volcano Interpretation Centre, which covers the events of this eruption as well as the tectonic forces shaping the Azores’ extraordinary landscape.
• Join a marine biologist for a 3-hour whale-watching expedition; sperm whales are resident species and live in the waters all year round.
• The program includes four moderate nature walks ranging in length from 1.3 to 7.7kms.

Overnight Madeira: Funchal (6 nights); Azores: Furnas, São Miguel (2 nights) • Ponta Delgada, São Miguel (2 nights) • Faja Grande, Flores (2 nights) • Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira (2 nights) • Horta, Faial (4 nights)

All bookings for tours can be made on the ASA Tours website here. 

For more information or bookings please contact:
Australians Studying Abroad

T   +61(0)3 9822 6899  E   info@asatours.com.au