THIS TRIP IS NOT FINALIZED. COST MAY GO UP SLIGHTLY

MAY 16th - 28th
11-nights with air - $2,995

Here's a new trip for Singles in Paradise. We've been to Lisbon before as part of our Spain and Portugal trip a few years ago but this will be our first time to the Azore Islands so we're excited about this one.

We've got great air at a very good price that will take us from LAX with a stop in Boston to Lisbon. We'll spend 4-nights in Lisbon then fly out to the Azores and spend 3-night on the island of Terceira and 4-nights on Sao Miguel.

I loved Lisbon and you will too. We will offer tours to some of the medieval towns that are not far from the city. It's one of the world's great historical cities, with characteristic and surprising sights, cultural treasures, and a beautiful setting that make it a paradise for walkers and photographers. Lisbon is Europe's second-oldest capital (after Athens), once home to the world's greatest explorers like Magellan and Prince Henry the Navigator, becoming the first true world city, the capital of an empire spreading over all continents, from South America (Brazil) to Asia (Macao, China; Goa, India). It’s one of the world's greatest natural harbors which attracted different civilizations, now reflected in its architecture and culture recalling Phoenicians, Celts, Romans, Visigoths and Moors. A charming visual time-warp with medieval village-like neighborhoods.  

Lisbon also offers World Heritage monuments and singular museum treasures.

Our stay will be at a beautiful, 5-star hotel in the city centre that will make a perfect base to explore many of Portugal's most outstanding towns and villages. From Evora and Obidos to fairytale palaces in one of Europe's most romantic towns (Sintra), we will have 4 nights and 3 full days for our day tours. Again we will hire our private guide and motor coach to enable us to offer optional tours with freedom and flexibility at an amazing group rate that you have come to appreciate

 

On the 18th we will fly out to the Azores. Our first island is Terceira, the second most inhabited island of the Azores. During the 15th and 16th centuries, the importance of Angra bay was notorious not only as a internal post, promoting the regional circuit of products produced in other Azorean islands, but also as an inter-continental stop over for the carrack ships sailing between Europe and the distant America and India. Terceira is still a dynamic island within the context of the Archipelago, having the historical center of Angra do Heroísmo been recognized as a World Heritage site by UNESCO, in 1983.

Terceira represents the largest area of native forest in the archipelago. The dominant green of the interior of the island fades on its periphery, where the secular human occupation and the colourful houses of locations dictate the rules. Also, it is where there is a predominate of purple color in some of the façades of the buildings.

We will take in some nature tours here including some spectacular caves! Algar do Carvão, a volcanic chimney that dazzles by its immensity space. From its arched roof hang remarkable silica stalactites, the biggest in the world. The Gruta do Natal, a cave consisting of a lava tube, is a wonder for its extensive, straight, long passages. The walls, ground and ceiling have different colours and shapes, transforming the cave into a mystic place. And Gruta do Natal, is a cave consisting of a lava tube, is a wonder for its extensive, straight, long passages. The walls, ground and ceiling have different colours and shapes, transforming the cave into a mystic place.

Besides caves and nature there are also nice beaches, an interesting fort and the oldest cathedral in the Azores from 1570. There are also a mutitude of other interesting and adventure tour options for us here including quad and jeep tours, boat tours, hiking, mountain biking, jet ski and scooter rentals. Check out this company to get a good idea.

Our hotel here is awesome - 4-star, #1 ranked hotel on Tripadvisor, Terceira Mar Hotel. See more below

On the 21st we will fly on to our last destination in the Azores, Sao Miguel, the biggest island of the archipelago.

The landscape of São Miguel is marked by two mountain areas separated by a low altitude platform. Nicknamed the Green Island, its landscape is made up of extensive fields and patches of tress that were forced into the valleys of streams and into difficult to reach areas. São Miguel is a land of lakes nested in volcanic craters that are many miles wide. Views abound and there are many lookouts to take advantage of them. Rows of small volcanic cones and stretches of undulating green land abruptly come to an end in the blue of the sea.

The natural hot water pools are one of the most attractive features that São Miguel has to offer. They are spectacular at Caldeira Velha, a fine stream of crystal clear water running thorough bright ochre trenches excavated in dark rock. They are majestic in the pool of the Terra Nostra Park, a lake of ferrous, brown water located in a luxuriant botanic garden. They are hidden at the Poça da Beija, a pool of crystal clear water and ferrous mud. They are quiet at the Caldeiras of Ribeira Grande, where the thermal building dating back to 1811 is surrounded by trees and fumaroles. They are effusive in the Furnas Valley , home of dozens of thermal springs, fumaroles and carbonated water which transform the valley into a Mecca in terms of spas and into a virtual bottling shop.

You want beaches? Amid tips of black rock, sunbathing areas and crystal clear sea, one finds natural swimming pools and ponds in various places on the island; Capelas, Calhetas and Lagoa are just some of these sites. And at the Ponta da Ferraria, what icing on top of the cake, Mother Nature takes care of heating the seawater with volcanic hot springs, offering an Atlantic Thalassotherapy in a unique natural setting.

Here we will also have an abundance of tour choices. From hiking, canyoning, mountain biking and jeep tours to scuba diving, whale watching and even swimming with dolphins! Check this website for an idea of all the cool things to do on Sao Miguel.

We fly back on Sunday the 25th, ending what I'm sure will be another amazing Singles in Paradise vacation. This trip came in at a great price and Portugal is already a bargain to begin with. Much less than other countries in Europe. Be the first person you know who has been to the Azores.

INCLUDES:

• All Air from LAX or San Diego - Other gateways are available or deduct $1,292 with your own air.

• 11-nights hotel accommodations

• All Ground Transportation

• Daily breakfast

• City tour in Lisbon

DOES NOT INCLUDE: Departure tax/ fuel surcharge currently at $160

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT (your own room) - $750

 

OUR AIR

Will be posted sometime in June

OUR HOTELS:

LISBON

Eurostars Das Letras - 4-1/2 ****
Website - Tripadvisor Review
The Eurostars Das Letras Hotel is one of the most rewarding and breakaway novelties that has happened in the last few years by the Tagus estuary. It is a luxury establishment where the secret ingredients of our recipe are blended in perfect proportions: design, top quality comfort, the latest in technological advances and, of course, literature and more literature.

Each one of the 107 rooms of he Eurostars Das Letras is dedicated to a celebrated writer: our guests will find on their bed headrest a large frame with a fragment of a particular author in its original version – from Shakespeare to Calderón de la Barca, from Virgil to Saramago – the essence of universal literature from every era. This is an ideal establishment for business travel and for enjoying tourism with one’s partner or family.

The hotel provides a business centre, Wi-Fi connections throughout the premises, a gym, sauna, private parking, a restaurant and four completely equipped meeting rooms adaptable for all kinds of corporate events of any size: from 10 persons in the Camoes Lounge to 120 in the Pessoa Lounge. The Das Letras Restaurant, with its décor in contemporary design and its outdoor terrace, serves the finest traditional, Portuguese cuisine and international dishes.

Flanked by two large, emblematic Lisbon spaces, the Botanical Gardens and the Avenida da Liberdade, the Eurostars Das Letras enjoys a privileged location in the Portuguese capital, exactly at the point where the business city and the tourist and shopping areas meet. An endless assortment of Lisbon attractions are available within walking distance from the main door of the hotel: Praça Marques de Pombal, Santa Justa, Bairro Alto and its cultural and night-time offers, the Chiado and its book stores, the Castle of Sao Jorge, Alfama, Rossío Square, Praça do Comércio, Praça do Municipio, Rua da Prata, Graça, Lapa and even the streets close to the Benfica area.

The hotel is surrounded by excellent restaurants and boutiques, such as Hugo Boss, Louis Vuiton or Cartier. By public transport, the hotel is easily accessible from the Airport, Santa Apolonia Station and other emblematic places in the city, like the Belem district or the Parque das Naçoes, with the Estaçao de Oriente designed by Santiago Calatrava or the impressive Oceanarium.

TERCEIRA

Terceira Mar Hotel - 5 *****
Website - Tripadvisor Review (#1!)

With a breathtaking ocean view, Terceira Mar Hotel is only a few steps from the historic city center of Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira Island, classified by UNESCO as World Heritage.

In resort style, Terceira Mar Hotel is a unique paradise: rightly located on Fanal Bay, overlooking a 16th century fortress and surrounded by a garden with a salt water infinity pool. All rooms face the ocean and Mount Brazil and offer an exceptional and warm atmosphere. If your visit in Terceira Island is for business of pleasure, Terceira Mar Hotel gives you the perfect balance of a magical place with all the amenities you need and superior service.

All rooms are equipped with: Air conditioning | Telephone | Cable TV | Pay-per-view | Radio and leisure music | Hairdryer | Mini bar | Private balcony | Wi-Fi

 

 

SAO MIGUEL

Hotel Marina Atlantico - 4 ****
Website - Tripadvisor Review
Hotel Marina Atlântico in Ponta Delgada embodies a ship, with high masts, resting on the shore. Considered a reference in São Miguel Island, its decor is luminous and modern, inspired by nautical motifs and inviting you to have a serene and unique experience.

Across the marina and the Port of Cruises, in the seafront of Ponta Delgada in São Miguel Island, Hotel Marina Atlântico offers a superb view of the ocean in the horizon colored by boat masts, allowing you to benefit from a first class Health Club and savor its distinct cuisine full of local Azorean products.

Make yourself at home in one of the 184 air-conditioned rooms featuring minibars and flat-screen televisions. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature complimentary toiletries and bidets. Conveniences include laptop-compatible safes and desks, and housekeeping is provided daily.

Relax at the full-service spa, where you can enjoy massages and body treatments. You can take advantage of recreational amenities such as a health club, an indoor pool, and a spa tub. This hotel also features complimentary wireless Internet access, babysitting/childcare (surcharge), and babysitting/childcare.

 

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