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 t
he
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.
Sign
up for this Singles Trip!