Exploring the Azores with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions

The Azores are made up of a variety of volcanic islands, boasting dramatic landscapes, spectacular rock formations and cliffs, fertile soil and thriving plants, migrating marine mammals, friendly people, and dairy cows galore. Although it is possible to fly from island to island or take a ferry between some islands, the best method to experience all the Azores has to offer is to visit by cruise. These aren’t your typical cruises, however; these islands are best explored via a small ship that can navigate the cozy ports, such as National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions’ Orion.

Mei-Mei and Regan (the Globetrotting Kirks) in front of the Orion and Mount Pico, the highest peak in the Azores.

We started by flying into Ponta Delgado on Saõ Miguel island. Although our flight arrived early in the morning, Lindblad was waiting to pick us up and transfer us to a hotel downtown. Upon arrival, we were given a list of activities to choose from for the entirety of the cruise and made sure to study the options closely before making our selections. We then spent the morning exploring the city on our own, visiting the famous farmer’s market and cheese shop before grabbing lunch at a Japanese restaurant. Then it was time to board the ship, a quick and seamless process; our bags were waiting for us in our spacious and comfortably appointed stateroom, well-designed with excellent storage.

A zodiac near the cliffs of Saõ Jorge

Over the next few days, we visited the islands of Pico, Faial, Saõ Jorge, and Terceira before returning early to Saõ Miguel due to poor conditions on Santa Maria, which was to be our penultimate stop. Most days had both morning and afternoon excursions, such as a morning hike and an afternoon whale watching activity. There were about four different excursions offered each time, providing a variety of culture- and nature-focused options, such as hikes vs. a local wine tasting. No matter what we did, we were always welcomed back on board with an interesting warm beverage, such as spiced tea. We appreciated these little touches!

A coast view from Pico

Twin lakes in a caldera on Saõ Miguel

We love whales, so we signed up for both “cetacean watching” options and then selected hikes for the rest of our activities, most of them advertised as “strenuous”. The whale watching was a clear highlight of the trip; May is the right time of year for them to be migrating past the Azores and we got to spend a good amount of time on both outings with pods of dolphins, sperm whales, and, on the first occasion, a humpback showing some unusual “trap feeding” behavior. Everyone had big smiles on their faces at the end of both outings.

A humpback whale “trap feeding”, seen on a whale watching trip from Horta, Faial

Dolphins seen on a whale watching trip from Horta, Faial

The hikes took us through interesting scenery on the different islands, all of which have different geological history and landscapes. Our guide was perhaps a bit overzealous in stopping the hikes to share detailed information on a regular basis, but we learned a great deal. The bird watchers on the trip had many opportunities to take pictures of birds uncommon in other parts of the world. We did not find any of the hiking particularly strenuous.

A sperm whale rolls over and shows its smile as it interacts with a passing pod of bottlenose dolphins

Another highlight of the trip was going out on a zodiac ride near the coast of Saõ Jorge. Experienced expedition cruisers know this is always a treat; zodiacs are a great way to get up close and personal with wildlife and landscapes that would otherwise be inaccessible. We greatly enjoyed exploring basalt columns and a cave carved into the face of a cliff.

Every evening, all of the guests would gather in the marvelous lounge for cocktails, canapes, conversation, and a debrief with the expedition team. Typically, this would involve mini lectures from some of the team, such as the on-ship divers sharing footage from their dive that day or an expert teaching us about some of the bird life we’d seen during a hike. Then, our expedition leader, Cammy, would take center stage to explain the plan for the next day, walking us through the weather, the excursion timings, and more. Again, if you’ve traveled on an expedition before, this will feel familiar; if you haven’t, this is a great way to ease into expedition cruising! The staff also made sure to provide some fun, unexpected experiences during this time, such as a platter of famous Saõ Jorge cheese to sample or a tasting of local gin.

Meals were an excellent time to make friends and mingle with the other guests; all tables are open seating, with most set up for six. Breakfast and lunch were buffet style, with dinner usually served á la carte. The food was consistently good and the service throughout the ship was impeccable. This is an all-inclusive experience (except top shelf alcohol), so guests can truly feel at home.

Overall, this experience gave us an excellent first taste of the beautiful Azores. And from there, it was so easy to hop over to Madeira...but that's a story for another report.

Gorgeous scenery hiking the fajas of Saõ Jorge

As one might expect from National Geographic, this is a photography-focused cruise—though plenty of people got by taking pictures with their phones or not at all. For those interested in photography, take advantage of the opportunity to learn from the skilled photographers on board.

Keep a selection of your top pictures; at the end of the voyage, each guest could share up to five pictures to be added to a slide show that played on the final night.

Although the coffee machine is wonderful, the bartenders are talented baristas and can make any coffee beverage you might want, hot or iced! I didn’t discover my favorite order until the last day: an iced mochaccino.

There are direct flights from Boston and Lisbon, making this remote destination more accessible than one may think. However, be aware that Azores Airlines can be extremely strict about carry-on allowances.

Pack for changeable weather—don’t forget your raincoat and waterproof hiking shoes, especially. A dry bag is a good idea as well for water-based activities.

Most people on this trip had traveled with Lindblad before. Take advantage of onboard booking benefits to get great discounts on future sailings, then have your TA handle things from there! For those who have experienced Lindblad’s expeditions in more remote locations, expect the vibe here to be different and slower-paced.

Expect frequent stops on hikes, even those labeled strenuous. The hikes were generally fairly short and would not present much challenge for regular hikers.

Lindblad did a great job of making sure everyone got to do all of the excursions they signed up for, despite capacity limits on certain outings.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our cruises page.