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)
Our customers enjoyed their travel
Inadvertently falling into the water ?
We have absolutely no regrets for having chosen the “Whales, dolphins and mankind” rather than “Dance with the dolphins”. On the 5 trips on the water we saw 9 different species including numerous encounters with various species of dolphin. The urge to swim with the dolphins was still there and we had to hold ourselves back from “inadvertently falling into the water”! The atmosphere in the hotel and with the fellow travelers was warm, helpful and friendly with both the people and the animals. The explanations about the whales or dolphins were interesting, frequent and easy to understand and the passion and the pleasure that was taken by staff was obvious. The material used and available for use was of high quality.
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