A holiday destination off the beaten path. Part 1

This year we decided to take a break from italy and spain as our usual go to holiday destinations and try something closer to home. The Açores is a welcomed break from our typical holiday destinations. How about an island in the middle of nowhere...

The Azores is a cluster of nine volcanic islands, all varing in sizes, in the north Atlantic Ocean. We visited São Miguel. The largest out of the nine, with its natural beauty and lagoons. This was my second visit. The colour of the deep blue sea is what most impressed me my first time round, and it definitely did not disappoint the second time... "we are on an island surrounded by sea of the deepest blue filled with a variety of underwater creatures. Everthing is beaming with life." The contrast of the deep blue sea with the lash green vegetation is so spectacular. Pure Paradise.

I highly recommend whale watching as a option of things to do. In general, the best time of the year to see whales in the Azores is during the Spring time, with April and May being the strongest months. During this time they have many fin whales, blue whales and sei whales passing the Azores on their annual migration. We were extremely lucky and managed to spot two fin whales...one with a younger cub in tow. It was an extradordinary experinece and one I will forever cherish.

 When you spot the fin, like in the photo above, it means that they are going under and taking a deep dive. Its a while before they resurface and some considerable distance away. So it is very much a cat and mouse game and requires a good deal of time and patience.
You may occasionally also encounter minke whales and humpback whales, although they are not as common as the other 3 baleen whale species. If you want to see the  iconic whale species, the sperm whale, you can visit any time of the year, although during the summer months you have a higher chance of seeing them. Similarly, the summer is also the best time to see (and swim with) dolphins, as during this time there are more dolphin species in the area and the groups tend to be larger with many calves present.

We were lucky enough to spot this school of common dolphins. They spent a while crusing along side our boat with us. Another magical experience.






We were able to spot a couple of bottlenosed dolphins as well...although they were not as social as the common dolphins and I was not quick enough to capture it on camara. But all in all a memorable experience...

This trip was organised with Terra Azul located in the Marina de Vila Franca do Campo, Store nº 4, who I highy recommend. The crew were very informative, friendly and very professional. It lasted a total of 2 and a half hours, give or take and the price varies from 55/60 euros, depending on the season. They also offer the option of swimming with the dolphins ( although I suspect only during the summer months), as well sailing in a traditional whaleboat "Senhora de Fátima".

 Besides whale watching, there is a hugh selection of outdoor activities available on the island, from surfing, yachting, suba diving, big game fishing, canoeing/kayaking, canyoning, bird watching, bike riding, hiking, horseback riding, paragliding, golf, geotourism etc There are definitely alot of options to keep one occupied.