DRONE IN AZORES

WHAT’S INCLUDED

Expert Local Guidance
Instruction by a native Azorean photographer (fluent in Portuguese and English) with intimate knowledge of the islands' weather, light, and hidden locations.

Daily Aerial Coaching
Hands-on field guidance covering flight planning, composition, cinematic movements, and adapting to Atlantic weather conditions.

Post-Processing Sessions
Group editing workshops using Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, specifically focused on aerial workflows, color grading, and panorama stitching.

Image Critiques
Constructive feedback sessions to help refine your visual storytelling and technical skills throughout the week.

Premium Accommodation
9 nights in handpicked hotels (Single Occupancy, private room with en-suite bathroom).

Meals
Daily breakfast at the hotel, plus a welcome lunch to start the adventure and a farewell dinner to celebrate the journey.

Complete Inter-Island Flights
All domestic flights required for the full itinerary (São Miguel → Flores → Terceira → Return to São Miguel).

Corvo Expedition
Coastal boat expedition to Corvo Island (weather permitting).

Private Transportation
Comfortable, private vehicle for all scheduled photography outings and land transfers.

Fees & Permits
All entry fees to parks, thermal pools, and photography locations.

Safety
Personal accident and liability insurance for peace of mind during the workshop.

Day 1: Arrival & The Tea Fields

After arriving at João Paulo II Airport, we meet for a welcome lunch to get to know the group, go over safety protocols, and discuss your aerial photography goals for the week. In the afternoon, we head to Gorreana, Europe’s oldest tea plantation, where the fields and hedge lines are perfect for a first low-altitude flight, practicing smooth gimbal movements and top-down patterns. For sunset, we fly on the north coast cliffs at Santa Bárbara or Cintrão, with black volcanic rock against the white Atlantic swell.

Day 2: Lagoa do Fogo & Sete Cidades

We start early with sunrise at Lagoa do Fogo, as the light comes over the crater rim and lights up the water while the caldera walls are still in shadow. Around midday, we head west to the Sete Cidades highlands. We start at Lagoa do Pau Pique, a small crater ideal for top-down shots, then Lagoa do Canário, and then the main caldera with Lagoa Verde and Lagoa Azul and the color contrast between them. We finish at Grota do Inferno for golden hour, using the walkway as a leading line with the craters stretching toward the ocean.

Day 3: Vila Franca Islet, Furnas & Mosteiros

We start at the coast facing Ilhéu de Vila Franca, where we have special authorization to fly over this protected reserve and capture its circular shape. (Note: all flights are made from the shoreline to respect wildlife areas.) We then head to Furnas and Terra Nostra Park, where drones are not allowed, so we switch to ground photography of the gardens, steam, and geothermal colors, with time for a swim in the thermal pool. Lunch is a traditional Cozido das Furnas, slow-cooked underground using volcanic heat. We finish the day at Mosteiros, practicing safe low flights over the water to capture the waves hitting the sea stacks at sunset.

Day 4: Flores, The Wild West

We fly from São Miguel to Flores, the wildest island in the Azores. After checking in and our first image review session, we head to Poço da Ribeira do Ferreiro, with its high cliffs and waterfalls dropping into a lagoon. The vertical walls make this a challenging place to fly, so we guide you on keeping visual line of sight (VLOS) while capturing the scale of the landscape.

Day 5: Lakes, Waterfalls & Albarnaz

We start at sunrise at Morro Alto, flying over Lagoa Negra and Lagoa Comprida, with the contrast between the dark water of one lake and the green of the other. We continue along the west coast near Lagoa Rasa and Lagoa Funda, looking for waterfalls and rainbows, and end the day at the Albarnaz Lighthouse, using it as an anchor point against the cliffs at sunset.

Day 6: Corvo & Rocha dos Bordões

We take a zodiac boat trip with skipper Carlos Mendes to Corvo to fly over the Caldeirão, one of the best drone locations in the Azores, with its lakes and green fields inside the crater. (Note: if the sea is too rough for the crossing, we explore the waterfalls on the west coast of Flores instead.) Back on Flores, we finish the day at Rocha dos Bordões, a wall of vertical basalt columns with great textures from above.

Day 7: Angra do Heroísmo & Pico Dona Joana

We fly to Terceira and check into our accommodation in the center of Angra do Heroísmo, a UNESCO World Heritage city, where we go on a photo walk through its colorful streets and historic architecture. Later, we visit Algar do Carvão, one of the few volcanic chimneys in the world you can walk into (ground photography). We end the day at Pico Dona Joana, one of my favorite places to fly a drone in the Azores, where the volcanic cone rises out of the patchwork fields with Ilhéus das Cabras in the background.

Day 8: Volcanic Textures

We start the morning at Ilhéus das Cabras, flying from the coast to capture the cliffs and their orange and yellow layers of volcanic ash, great for detail shots. We then have lunch in Praia da Vitória with Alcatra, the island’s traditional pot roast. In the afternoon, we explore Ponta do Mistério, a lesser-known area with volcanic formations perfect for abstract aerial images. We finish at Biscoitos, where the black lava and white waves are ideal for high-contrast aerial photography.

Day 9: The Patchwork Finale

We return to Pico Dona Joana, this time with morning light, to see the same landscape in completely different conditions. After lunch, we have our final editing session to select your best images of the week and prepare a portfolio for a group showcase. We finish at Serra do Cume, photographing Terceira’s famous patchwork fields at sunset.

Day 10: Ponta das Contendas & Farewell

We start the morning at Ponta das Contendas for a final flight, along a stretch of coastline with brown and orange cliffs and a chain of small islets reaching into the Atlantic, especially beautiful in the soft early light. After a farewell breakfast and making sure all data transfers are done, airport transfers are arranged based on your departure time. I hope you leave with great images and new skills as a drone pilot.