A slightly warmer, but no less interesting, alternative to Iceland, a geography school trip to the Azores will teach your students about changing landscapes and land use!
In the midst of the Atlantic Ocean, the Azores is an archipelago is made up of a group of nine volcanic islands, each with its own particular landscape and culture. Often described as one of the best island destinations for sustainable tourism in the world, the Azores are Europe’s westernmost point and home to the first island communities in the Atlantic. The dramatic landscapes are littered with beautiful flora and productive vineyards.
São Miguel is the largest island and is renowned for its green landscapes, scenic lakes and the vibrant city of Ponta Delgada. Our geography school trips normally focus on São Miguel, but we can arrange trips to the other islands of the Azores, where different aspects of the curriculum can be studied.
Suggested Itinerary (5 days, 4 nights)
| Day | Morning Summary | Afternoon Summary | Evening Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Flight to Ponta Delgada via Lisbon |
Transfer to accommodation on the island of Sao Miguel |
Evening meal at accommodation |
| 2 |
Full-day Furnas Lake tour including a hike around the lake |
Cozido das Furnas lunch, cooked underground by volcanic heat Visit a tea factory |
Evening meal at accommodation |
| 3 |
Lagoa do Fogo with Salto do Cabrita walking trail Visit Caldeira Velha |
Free afternoon or book an additional excursion, such as whale watching |
Evening meal at accommodation |
| 4 |
Full-day visit to Gruta do Carvao Stop en-route at Sete Cidades |
Visit to Mosteiros |
Evening meal at accommodation |
| 5 |
Return flight to the UK |
Arrive back in the UK |
|
- 4 nights' full-board accommodation
- Airport taxes and passenger duty at current rates
- ATOL protected return flights from the UK
- Comprehensive travel and medical insurance
- Detailed information pack
- Full-day guided tour to Nordeste with lunch
- Full-day guided tour to Sete Cidades, visit to Gruta do Carvão, with lunch
- Half-day guided tour to Lagoa do Fogo with entrance to Caldeira Velha
- Itinerary planning service
- Return airport transfers in resort
- Vamoos - our easy-to-use travel app
- VAT at current rates to tour operators
Curriculum Links
A-Level
- Earth structure and plate tectonics
- Different types of volcanoes and volcanic eruptions
- Human responses to natural hazards
- Fieldwork
- Characteristics of a distinct ecosystem
- Biodiversity: flora and fauna adaptations
- Impacts of climate change on biomes
- Economical and social threats to ecosystems
- Sustainable management of resources
- The water cycle
GCSE
- Characteristics of plate boundaries
- Effects of tectonic hazards
- Management of hazards
- Living alongside hazards in developed countries
- Characteristics of ecosystems
- Biodiversity: flora and fauna adaptations
- Balance and interrelationships of biomes
- Impact of climate on ecosystems
- Global threats to ecosystems
- Water and carbon cycles
- Fieldwork
Key Stage 3
- Geological timescales and plate tectonics
- Rocks, weathering and soils
- Weather and climate
Primary
- Volcanoes and earthquakes
- Climate zones
- Biomes and vegetation belts
