In a nutshell

The lively streets of Ponta Delgada provide the perfect occasion for a stroll to discover some of the city’s most unique churches and two historic botanical gardens where we can admire numerous specimens or rare and exotic plants.

Main stops

Stroll in Ponta Delgada’s city centre
Church of St. Sebastian: between Gothic and Baroque
Intricate marble work in the Convent of Our Lady of Hope
Visit to the José do Canto Botanical Garden
Visit to the António Borges Botanical Garden

The programme

After leaving the port, our coach takes us on a short transfer to the centre of Ponta Delgada, a city famous for its multiple churches. From there, we walk to one of the better known, the Church of St. Sebastian built in the Gothic style between 1531 and 1547 to ask for the Saint’s protection during a plague epidemic and later extended and embellished with wooden furnishings in the Baroque style made using prestigious Jacaranda wood imported from Brazil.
We continue our walk along the lively streets of Ponta Delgada before stopping at the Convent and Chapel of Our Lady of Hope dating back to the 16th century. The convent façade seems to be covered in precious intricate embroideries while the richly decorated chapel, home to the statue of Our Lord the Holy Christ of Miracles donated to the convent nuns by Pope Clement VII in 1530.
After the walking tour, we return to our coach and drive to the José do Canto Botanical Gardens to discover the story of José do Canto, famous gardener and botanist, and enjoy a walk in the lovely gardens.
Finally, another short transfer takes us to the António Borges botanical garden, founded in the 19th century by local politician and tradesman António Borges Medeiros, a botany enthusiast, to discover the rare and exotic plants scattered among the garden’s paths and caves.

Good to know

The tour includes approximately 2 hours walking on cobbled surfaces and stairs.
Due to the gravel paths found in the garden, we recommend wearing non-slip trekking shoes and clothing suitable for the weather.
Clothing that is appropriate for the places of worship is compulsory to visit the churches.
When one of the churches is being used for religious ceremonies, our tour will be limited to the exterior of the building.
Visibility during the tour is subject to weather conditions.
The order of the stops may be subject to modification without prior warning for operational reasons or to avoid the crowds.
We recommend bringing water and energy bars.