Walking in the Azores

Thoroughly enjoyable holiday in the beautiful Azores. We visited 4 contrasting islands, but all were lush and green despite their volcanic nature. I thought that there might be more downtime than I like from the itinerary on the website, but in fact, there were activities every day, as our very organised and hardworking guide Tania, led optional walks for us in free time, and also ensured that everyone had the chance to go whale watching and climb Pico Mountain, if they wished. I would definitely like to return to the Azores and visit some of the other islands.

We were delighted by our tour through four islands of the Azores. Our tour leader was exceptional and the islands are beautiful. While hiking trails are often seldom used roads, the scenery is extraordinary.

Tania was our leader. She went the extra mile to make us welcome and was very helpful in every way. Her knowledge and care of safety was second to none. She was one to the best guides we have had. She made sure that we had all our needs met and was reliable , professional, efficient and followed up on all the planning. I would give her a 10/10 rating. The hotels were excellent, especially the one on St Jorge and Talisman. We could have done with a kettle in all the hotels. The places we visited were very interesting and Tania include more in our day. The walks were medium to hard. The terrain made for some treacherous walking. One of the party broke his wrist slipping. It was often too humid as well. The scenery was outstanding though. I would recommend you review the walks.

Hotel rooms were too small for 2 people and all their gear. Breakfasts were great, especially the coffee. Air con at Hotel in Sao Jorge did not work. The Tour Guide was great. She often surprised us with add ons to the existing itinerary that did not cost us extra. Her energy and patience was appreciated as well as her concern for our safety.