This is where Europe ends: 38 degrees North and 30 degrees West, some 800 nautical miles from the nearest coast, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The Azoreans, isolated for centuries, have survived on their resources of agriculture, fishing and…. whale hunting. Melville drew inspiration from such odysseys to write his epic tale, «Moby Dick».
Since 1984, harming cetaceans has been strictly prohibited. However, the spirit of the mighty sperm whale lives on, and the yearnings of the Azorean «mestres» are invariably for the sea. From these magical surroundings, you will set out for an encounter with these noble creatures armed with only inflatable rafts and cameras.
We end this week with a hike to the summit of Pico volcano at over 2,350 meters. From the splendors of the seas to the highest peak of the mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Price:
From € 499.–
Length of holiday:
8 days
Departure dates:
April to the beginning of November
Tempted to go ?
Features of the holiday
| Destination: | Azores, Europe, Portugal |
| Season: | Autumn, Spring, Summer |
| Responsible travel: | Carbon offset, Economy, Environment, Micro-economy, Sensitization |
| Travel type: | Active holidays |
| Traveller type: | Couple, Family, Small group, Solo |
| Activities: | Mountain bike, Observation, Sea kayak, Snorkeling, Sport, Tour, Trekking |
| Accommodation: | Small hotel |
| Natural environment: | Dolphin, Island, Marine fauna, Sea, Volcano, Whale |
| Culture: | Architecture, Vernacular architecture |
| Climate: | Oceanic, Temperate |
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Itinerary of the holiday
- Day 1 : Saturday: Fly to Failal via Lisbon. Welcome at the airport at Horta or Pico, the a ferry to Lajes do Pico- the favoured area for the whales.
- Day 2 to Day 6 : At sea every morning weather permitting, observing, listening and watching the whales.
The afternoons are spent at your leisure. The Whaling museum, the biggest whaling library in the world, visiting the with text video and the internet at your disposal, visite à la vigia de Queimada, sea-kayaking, mountain-biking, snorkelling, visit a disused whaling factory at São Roque that still has the smell of whale oil evoking memories and the saudade of the last workers. - Day 7 : An optional hike to the top of the Pico volcano.
- Day 8 : Saturday – return to Switzerland by air.
Map
Length of the holiday |
8 days |
Departure dates |
April to the beginning of November |
Price |
Price per person in a double room from € 499.–, € 559.–, € 699.– |
Included with the holiday
- welcome and transfer from Faial or Pico airport to hotel in Lajes do Pico
- 7 nights in a 2 star hotel accommodation, bed & breakfast
- 5 boat excursion (boat, fuel, harbour costs, equipment, etc.), weather permitting
- access to the services of the BOCA
- mountain bike, kayaks
- library
- insurance (general assistance, illness, accident, cost of rescue operations)
- entrance to the whaler’s museum
- government taxes, whale watching permit
Not included with the holiday
- flights from Switzerland
- travel insurance (highly recommended)
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- Madalena church
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- An unpainted house of black volcanic rock, on the North coast
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- A view of the North coast
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- A typical black & white church on the North coast
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- The wild Northeast coast
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- Cows grazing on the flanks of the volcano
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- Colours of Pico
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- View of the volcano on arrival at Lajes do Pico from the Southeast
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- The sun setting at Lajes
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- Hotel in Lajes do Pico
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- The typical coloured fishing boats of the island
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- Briefing before boarding the zodiac
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- Leaving base on the zodiac to see the animals
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- A group of pilot whales swimming in front of the volcano
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- A pilot whale near the zodiac
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- Perhaps will you even have the chance to see some killer whales ?
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- A couple of dolphins leaving us
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- Searching for the animals from the zodiac
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- Sperm whale fluking
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- A biologist submerging the sonar to detect the sperm whales
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- A dolphin family with the island in the background
Our customers enjoyed their travel
Among the strongest emotions of my life (following)
The Azorean people are so warm and Serge and his team are so friendly, professional and engaging. And of course dolphins and whales are special. The dolphins were much more common and we saw six different species over the the week. Whales were seen more rarely. Encounters with whales are magical moments, these are certainly among the strongest emotions of my life. Thank you and Emmanuel George at The Taste of travel for your advice and your perfect organization.
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