The Azores – the Archipelago Experience

An excellent holiday all round. Loved seeing several of the islands in The Azores and would love to see more of them.

Walking days were all interesting and varied and the walking notes extremely helpful and detailed. Walks down to the north coast of Sao Jorge were impressive and we enjoyed the long but excellent 10 Volcanoes walk on Faial.

Enjoyed the flexibility of deciding what to do each day.

Everyone we met was very friendly and helpful

This was yet again a superbly organised trip by Inntravel. We loved the islands and the people. Please make clients aware that everything closes on a Sunday and be prepared for clouds. As the locals say there are four seasons in a day so you need to be flexible with your chosen routes to make the best of the weather and anticipated views. The whale watching was an absolute dream and being surrounded by hundreds of dolphins as we sped through the water made us laugh with joy.

A really enjoyable holiday. A great introduction to the Azores. A good variety of walks and the detailed instructions were excellent as with all of the 9 Inntravel holidays we have undertaken. We had a great time and will be booking holiday no 10 in the future.

This holiday was wonderful.  The Azores are a fabulous collection of islands and, once we relaxed and understood the Atlantic island weather, we felt ourselves being drawn into island life.  The people were friendly and helpful; the towns were beautifully clean and tidy; the food and wine were very palatable, especially the local Pico wine; and the accommodation was well located and very individual - Solar de Lalem was particularly enjoyable.  Walking along the hydrangea-lined paths was simply glorious, especially when the sun shone and the Atlantic and sky were azure blue.  For me the highlights were the volcanic sights:  Sete Cidades was everything I hoped for and more; walking at nearly 1000m elevation around the huge Caldeira on Faial was adrenaline-inducing due to there being low cloud and a very stiff wind blowing; seeing the "Badlands" on Failal showed just what a volcano can do; the sheer size of the Pico volcano meant it could be seen (cloud permitting) from most places on Sao Jorge and Faial; and the boiling mud and water at Lake Furnas were testament that the islands are still very much "alive".  An unexpected pleasure was the abundance of trees, plants and flowers which I don't usually see outside my native Australia.  If you like reasonably challenging walking in magnificent surroundings, I highly recommend this holiday.

Although this holiday involves quite a lot of travelling in the beginning it is well worth the effort. Longer stay at Solar de Lalem was delightful, very relaxing with wonderful hosts and staff.

The walks which we really enjoyed, perhaps because we had better weather on them, were 'To the beach of Almoxarife' Horta which we walked back as well.  Then two walks on Sao Miguel, 'Into the Sanguinho Valley' and 'To the Janela do Inferno'.  These walks were not taxing but were just delightful for their variety.

Because we had some inclement weather, one item which we would recommend is a walking pole to assist with some trickly descents on various walks.

Another highlight was the whale watching trip.  This was a first for us and we were lucky to see dolphins and sperm whales and have the owner of the company as our skipper.  The accompanying guide, Vanessa was knowledgeable and could answer any questions.  It was a superb morning out.

All accommodations were excellent.

The Azores are stunning!!! A real hiking paradise. Gorgeous, well marked trails. A nice variety of hikes so no matter what grade you like to hike, you will find your niche. We were lucky with mostly sunny, cool days that were perfect for hiking. Each of the islands are quite different so it was fun to explore each of them. We loved the Whale Watching trip. Great boats and though we didn't see any whales, we saw large schools of 4 different varieties of dolphins, some feeding, so there were huge flocks of birds above us. Ferry hopping between the islands is a nice way to capture all that beauty from the water. It was a lovely two weeks. I think one of our favorite hikes so far with Inntravel! I would highly recommend this trip.

A fabulous experience, these islands are so lush, beautiful, and magical, and the people are warm and welcoming. Tougher walking than we expected but in good weather the steep ascents and descents are worth it for the amazing scenery. Our highlights were the beautiful, quiet, island of Sao Jorge - the little town of Velas which was lovely, and walking home from a restaurant listening to the strange calls of the Cory's shearwaters that nest there; the stunning hike from the moorland ridge down to Faja dos Cubres. By contrast, the gentle walk round the beautiful lake at Furnas on Sao Miguel, followed by a dip in the hot springs at Poca Beixe; hydrangeas in bloom as far as the eye can see; the still, green waters, ferns and ancient forest at Lagoa do Canario near Sete Cidades... all amazing. Take a raincoat, a sunhat and a pair of strong knees and have an amazing time.

This was one of our favorite Inntravel holidays. The accommodations were all terrific (and if possible I would recommend upgrading rooms at each). We especially loved our views and terrace at Casa do António and our suite at Solar de Lalem. The hikes were well described and after our knees overcame the initial shock of a first day 845 metre descent, we were good to go. We loved the walk through the tea plantation, though the visit to the factory was just about the only place we ran into crowds. And, the whale/dolphin watching was terrific. A well-organized outing that was in fact postponed one day due to the weather. We saw 30-50 common dolphins and a fin whale with her calf and it was all quite thrilling.  Besides the hikes, personal ”highs” included visits to several botanical gardens (Terra Nostra in Furnas, Jose do Canto Garden in Ponta Delgado), the flowers and well maintainked trees just about everywhere, the people we met who were very friendly and welcoming. Not being “foodies” we were quite satisfied with one or 2 restaurants in each village. In Sao Jorge we stuck with Restaurante Acer, a nice, popular spot which served excellent tuna. In Maia we found ourselves returning to Restaurant Fim de Seculo. We enjoyed strolling to dinner and back, the friendliness of this family owned and run restaurant,  and even the lack of a printed menu. We’d ask for the fresh catch of the day and be served a platter of grilled fish and homegrown fresh vegetable...more than one person could possibly eat. We only visited 2 islands and left with a curiousity about  others but at the same time very satisfied by our experience.

A holiday on the Azores is like taking a step back in time. Everything is unspoilt, the views are ever changing and breathtaking and the number of birds in the countryside is absolutely amazing. Seeing the dolphins at such close quarters was a memorable experience.

We had an excellent meal at Principe Gastro Bar in Horta. Unlike most restaurants in the Azores it was very modern cuisine, superbly cooked and very reasonably priced. Well worth putting on your list.

If you like walking and wonderful views you will love Inntravels "Archipelago Experience." They pick out all the key walks that you won't want to miss, and their detailed walking notes ensure that you won't spend time worrying that you are going the wrong way! There is a good mix of linear walks on some islands (where you can be dropped off at the start and picked up at the end) and circular walks (islands created by volcanoes really lend themselves to these!) where you can have your own car. It is a magical place and with 9 islands to explore (you won't get to all of them in this trip!) you will be thinking about your next trip as you finish this one... There are so many things to recommend but if we were forced to choose here are a couple: for the most spectacular view, find your way to Lagoa do Canaria near to Sete Cidades. Nearby, you will find the Miradouro da Boca do Inferno - you won't forget it! And at the end of your day at Sete Cidades don't go home without a quick visit to nearby Mosteiros - a cool drink at the Sunset Poco da Pedro while watching the waves crash over a unique collection of natural swimming pools makes for a perfect "sundowner."

The majestic and stunning natural beauty of the volcanoes was amazing, typified by our iconic walk up the Pico Esoerance in Sao Jorge (you should advise everyone to go to the top) with all round views of the blue sea, islands and of course the main Pico crater dominating everything. a number of the walks (for example Furnass lake) felt like walking through a botanical garden, the vegetation was so rich and lush and the birds and their songs accompanying us everywhere. We were privileged to ride among a pod of 200 dolphins for about half an hour which we will never forget. The local people were friendly and welcoming and we were struck above all by the slow pace of life in the Azores. They really do exemplify your strap line! 

Inntravel was a terrific way to experience the Azores at a slow enjoyable pace. We had the freedom to decide each day on our activity and level of physical fitness from a few hour walk to more challenging day hikes up and down elevations - the choice was ours.

We spent quality time hiking together though beautiful landscapes and had lots of opportunities to socialize with fellow spirited travellers (which we did choose to do often at days end).

The accomodations were lovely, overlooking the sea or town and convenient to all our walking activities. The 'invisible hand' with detailed walking instructions steered us safely and enjoyably to, through and from, each hike nicely - no compass or map was needed.

Thank you Inntravel for our wonderful Azores "slow" holiday.

Wonderful and dramatic scenery on these completely unspoilt, enchanting islands - a unique island holiday experience!

This was an exceptional holiday; a truly unique experience. The planning and organisation by Inntravel is first rate, we would recommend it to anyone.