Porto considers itself the country's secret capital. The narrow lanes of the historic old town "Ribeira", a UNESCO World Heritage Site, extend in terraces up the slope overlooking the Douro. The former working-class district has blossomed into a beautifully restored trendy neighborhood. A student of Gustave Eiffel created the bold design for the bridge, which stretches over the river in a wide arc and links the Ribeira with Vila Nova da Geia and its 50 port wineries that lie on the other side. The best way to reach the incredible Douro Valley and the countryside of the Alto Douro wine region, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is by river.

Embark on the 2nd day at 2:00 P.M.

Climbing the rigging, untying ropes, setting sails – today is all about sailing. Time to lean back and relax in the deck chair and watch the passionate crew hoisting the sails by hand

The lively capital of São Miguel receives its guests at the trefoil-shaped city gate and invites them in on mosaic-like cobbled pavements through narrow lanes leading to whitewashed houses with black facade decoration made from basalt. The historic old city of Ponta Delgada is covered by a preservation order. Two large lakes are picturesquely set in the crater of Sete Cidades – the sapphire blue Lagoa Azul and the emerald green Lagoa Verde. At the edge of the crater the view widens out and exposes a spectacular panorama. On one side ebony sand and by the azure Atlantic, on the other side turquoise crater lakes amidst green rolling hills and blue flowering hydrangea bushes.

On board a windjammer, the journey becomes the destination, leaving ample room for your own personal feel-good program.

Early on, Horta linked the Old World with the New and is the most international place in the archipelago. The port is a hub of activity; almost every yacht that sails across the Atlantic makes a stop at Horta, making her famous port the world's most colorful marina. The quay walls are a kind of guest book for skippers where for centuries people have immortalised themselves with a painting or inscription. The Azores last proved their volcanic origin in 1957 when the Capelinhos volcano suddenly emerged out of the sea in an eruption. The caldera is two kilometres (1.3 miles) in diameter and Faial expanded by 2.4 square kilometres (1 square mile). Nowadays the area is a bizarrely picturesque spot.

Graciosa, the second smallest island in the Azores, has the most unusual natural phenomena in the archipelago. Furna do Enxofre, the huge sulphurous cave in the dark centre of the caldera, lets you take a glimpse into the underworld. A large steaming lake, 15 metres (49 foot) deep, stretches across an 80-metre (262 foot)-high volcanic cave and is bewitchingly lit by daylight shining in. On the island's fertile soil, only slightly protected from the wind by walls of lava rubble, cereal crops, fruit and vines flourish. Red-crested windmills are now the emblem of this charming island.

Two fortresses standing guard over the harbor, splendid Renaissance facades, colorful little houses, churches and palaces – the old city of Angra do Heroísmo is a shining example of Portuguese Renaissance architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Taking a stroll is like a journey back in time. As the oldest town in the Azores, it received city status in 1474 and was even the capital of Portugal for three years from 1580. In its heyday as a center for overseas trade, for centuries it was an important hub between three continents.

At 2,351 meters (7,713 foot), Ponta de Pico volcano is the highest mountain in Portugal and magnificently epitomises the island's personality. Dominated by the mountain, Pico has only a small amount of flat coastal land, but this only makes it all the more beautiful. Many small harbours and walled fields create a contrast with the wildly dramatic mountains in the background. Laurel, juniper, tree heath and wine grow on this green island, protected by kilometre (miles)-long walls of lava. The island's viniculture has even been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Pico, once a whaling centre, now has two whaling museums and is the starting point for whale watching, as numerous sperm whales inhabit the sea around the island.

Santa Maria, with its tiny capital Vila do Porto, is the third smallest and most southerly island in the archipelago and, in contrast to the other islands in the Azores, is not a volcanic island. Like all the islands in the Azores it is lush green but has its own softer, almost Mediterranean character. Nature is more gentle here, the land seems hillier and is characterised by green swathes of forest, steep terraced vineyards, banana plantations, lush meadows and a sea of flowers. With its perfect weather, Santa Maria is the only island in the Azores that has broad, white sandy beaches.

The lively capital of São Miguel receives its guests at the trefoil-shaped city gate and invites them in on mosaic-like cobbled pavements through narrow lanes leading to whitewashed houses with black facade decoration made from basalt. The historic old city of Ponta Delgada is covered by a preservation order. Two large lakes are picturesquely set in the crater of Sete Cidades – the sapphire blue Lagoa Azul and the emerald green Lagoa Verde. At the edge of the crater the view widens out and exposes a spectacular panorama. On one side ebony sand and by the azure Atlantic, on the other side turquoise crater lakes amidst green rolling hills and blue flowering hydrangea bushes.