Being only a 4-hour flight from London, I wondered what had taken me so long to come to the gorgeous islands of the Azores! Flying over São Miguel, we got our first taste of the beautiful scenery.
We started our trip on São Miguel, the largest of the Azores islands, which is where our Azores Family Adventure group trip is based, and also where our Azores Island Hopping trip starts!
Our guests, like me, stay in the quaint capital of Ponta Delgada. With multiple cafés and restaurants lining the cobbled streets and picturesque squares, I would have happily whiled away an afternoon here, but there was no time for that on this action-packed trip.
We were soon whisked off to board a RIB for a whale and dolphin watching excursion with an expert guide. On this trip, spotters based on shore used powerful binoculars to watch for whales and dolphins breaching, then communicated with the boats on where they thought the animals would next surface for air! Once a cetacean was spotted, we wasted no time in racing across the waves to a possible sighting.
Upon arrival, I could barely believe it – three orcas happily swam by our boat, allowing us to follow them (at a distance of course). It was an incredible sight! In addition to orcas, we had some other amazing sightings that day – we encountered some friendly dolphins, pilot whales, sperm whales, and even a Portuguese man-o-war (not so friendly!).
Another treat on São Miguel island was canyoning through Ribeira dos Caldeirões. We were jumping, sliding and rappelling down the river that runs through a luscious green valley. The temperate climate of the Azores means there are lots of huge broadleaf plants, which made us feel as though we were explorers blazing our way down the river. Later on the island of Terceira, we took a buggy tour through the dense forest, which felt like something straight out of Jurassic Park.
Adding to the prehistoric feeling, we visited Furnas, an area of geothermal activity. This place had bubbling mud pools and hot springs, where local restaurants boiled their eggs and cooked the local dish of cozido. Just down the road is the beautiful Terra Nostra Park, where the hot springs form therapeutic bathing pools – perfect for relaxing after all that adventure!
Throughout the trip, there was a constant feeling of discovering somewhere new. Of course, there were other tourists around, but they seemed few and far between compared to other European holiday destinations. As it was early in the summer, I asked our guide what peak season would be like. He was confused and told me, “This is peak season – almost every hotel on the island is fully booked!”.
I found out that this is because the Azores have strict rules on building new accommodation, in an effort to keep the relaxed island charm which makes this destination so popular. This means the number of tourists that can stay on the islands is limited – so book early to avoid disappointment!
If you'd like the Azores to be your next family holiday destination, find out more about this fantastic archipelago today, or get in touch with our expert team to discuss your requirements.
