A memorable Geography trip to the Azores

March 27th 2025

On Thursday 27^th March, pupils and staff set off to the Azores for a Geography Trip.

Day 1: We left school early and travelled to Heathrow where we were greeted by our field study tutor, Val, before catching our first flight to Lisbon. We then had a bit of free time in Lisbon airport before our connecting flight to Ponta Delgada on Sao Miguel, the largest island on the Azores. As we were approaching the island the views from the plane were breathtaking and gave us a taste of what to expect in the coming days. We were met at the airport by Marco, our driver for the trip, who took us to our hotel. We checked in and went for supper before an early night, ready for lots of geography the next day.

Day 2: We woke up and went down for a nice breakfast in the hotel. We then headed out to Lagoa to visit the Vulcanological & Geothermal Observatory, where we had a very interactive tour around and learnt a lot about the geological and tectonic history of the Azores. We were the given a talk by Val on the human history of the Azores and the importance of different industries on the island such as agriculture, before heading off into Furnas, which is a town located inside a volcanic caldera. We had lunch by the side of the lake opposite fumaroles which locals use to cook dishes through the natural heat underground. We then split off into 2 groups, with half visiting Grena Park and the other half undertaking a microbial safari.

Grena Park was amazing; a trail through the jungle/woods looking for waterfalls and viewpoints. It was so beautiful, and we managed to get round most of them within the hour that we were given. For the microbial safari, we travelled to a local village where we did water tasting of different temperatures and PH of water which was all naturally heated and carbonated. The water tasted very metallic, but it was so interesting that there were so many different types of water all within a very close proximity. We then had the chance to cook eggs in naturally boiling water and then eat our ‘thermal snack’, which was a very cool experience. We then headed back to hotel via a final view point, which looked over the whole Caldera and beyond. This was so beautiful. We arrived back at the hotel and had supper, before having some time to go to the shopping mall, which was about a 10-15 minute walk from the hotel.

Flickr album: Geography Trip to the Azores - March 2025 | Height: auto | Theme: Default | Skin: Default Skin

Day 3: We woke early and went down for breakfast before walking along the promenade to the marina, ready to go whale watching. We got on the boat and set off. After around 20 minutes we saw a pod of common dolphins which was very exciting. Unfortunately, we weren’t luck enough to see any whales, but seeing the island from the sea gave us another interesting perspective. We had lunch back on dry land in Ponta Delgada and then headed to Sete Cidades, probably the most famous caldera on the islands, for more amazing views. Val spoke to us about the history of the volcanoes and how the different islands on the Azores formed. We then completed a 5km walk around the edge of the caldera. This was so beautiful and such a lovely walk, with good vibes and the sun shining! We then went down into the village by the lake and had an ice cream, took some photos before getting back on the bus and heading off to our last viewpoint, which looked over the Atlantic Ocean.

Day 4: After breakfast we set off for two stunning viewpoints over the Fogo caldera. It was overcast and quite cold at that time in the morning, but it was so beautiful, and you could see the whole island and the Atlantic on either side which was very cool. We walked down closer to the lake and had some more amazing views. It was then time to get back in the bus and head to the much-anticipated thermal springs at Caldeira Velha. There were four thermal pools set in what felt like a jungle, two were very hot, one was slightly cooler, and then there was one underneath a waterfall which was colder, but still warm enough to swim in. After lunch by some more waterfalls, we visited Gorreana tea plantation, Europe’s oldest, and saw the rows of tea bushes and all the machines used to make the tea, before getting the chance to try some. I think lots of parents will have received Azorean tea as a present! We then got back on the bus to visit a pineapple plantation, and, on the way, Val gave a long talk about pineapples! When we got there, it was amazing. There were lots of greenhouses with pineapples of different ages in them and a great gift shop. Finally, we visited a series of lava tubes which were very cool. Looking the part with our hard hats on we ventured 12m underground to see the cave-like lava tunnels, formed when lava travelled through to the sea during volcanic eruptions in the past. For our final night we explored the quiet city of Ponta Delgada, before heading back to the hotel for our final sleep of the trip.

Day 5: On our final morning, we had a quick trip to the airport for our flight back to Lisbon and then on to Heathrow. Despite lots of road closures, we finally made it home back to Bruton.

A massive thank you to Mr Godfrey, Mr Danskin, Dr Corrigan and Mrs Stainton for organising a memorable trip for all pupils, as well as Val our amazing guide. Despite only a 4-night trip, we managed to pack so much geogers in!

Anna & Emily, Priory U6th

A letter from the tour guide

Dear Mr Wilmshurst

I am writing in my capacity as the Field Study Tutor from Rayburn Tours who has just had the pleasure of accompanying your pupils and staff on their Geography field trip to the Azores. After 40 years of teaching, twenty years as Head of Geography and finally, before retirement, as the Deputy Head of a large independent school in Dundee, I do feel well qualified to offer the following comments.

Your students and their accompanying staff were an absolute credit to King’s Bruton. We had busy days packed with a variety of experiences but I never once sensed any reluctance from the students to get boots on and to engage with the activities and visits of the tour. They were, without exception, polite and courteous but also friendly and helpful. They seemed to be genuinely supportive of one another and they listened carefully, following requests and instructions without question. I very much enjoyed the conversations I had with some of them during our time together. Their interest and enthusiasm for all that we saw and did was palpable, as was that of the accompanying staff. It is a rare school trip when I do not have some complaints about silly behaviour but I can honestly say that I heard nothing of that sort in the corridors of our hotel. I was particularly impressed with how well your young people behaved in the dining room at meal times and with the gratitude and consideration they showed to hotel staff, our driver and to me.

Young people are frequently at the receiving end of criticism, and for that reason I believe it is important to commend them whenever one can. In my role working with a variety of schools it is rare for me to be with such well rounded young people. I would therefore be grateful if you would pass my comments on to them.

I would also, however, like to take this opportunity of mentioning the accompanying staff whose contribution to the success of the field trip should not be overlooked. Mr Godfrey and his team - Dr Corrigan, Mrs Stainton and Mr Danskin- were exemplary in fulfilling the responsibilities of accompanying staff. The students were well supervised during our daytime excursions but also in the evenings. This was clearly a well organised field trip and I very much enjoyed being a temporary colleague. I always say that the difference between a good field trip and a poor one is not the students, the weather or the destination but the staff!

After many years in senior leadership, I am now enjoying the opportunity to re-engage with teaching Geography in my position as Field Study Tutor for Rayburn Tours and it was a privilege to do that with your students and colleagues.

With my very best wishes

Val Vannet

(Field Study Tutor for Rayburn Tours)