Our family multi-activity week on Sao Miguel | Azores | June 2024
After joining the Archipelago Choice team, I was really excited to start planning a family holiday to the Azores. I have two young girls and was advised that Sao Miguel would be the best island to visit.
My girls love adventurous activities and there were lots of options to choose from. However, I was mindful that I didn’t want to overwhelm them with a non-stop schedule, so I booked a range of morning activities and kept our afternoons free. We also made sure that we had two days with nothing planned, so we could explore the island in our little hire car.
Our Activity Week Starts
Whale Watching from Vila Franca do Campo
Our first activity was a half-day whale watching boat tour, which set off from Vila Franca do Campo. The Azores is one of Europe’s leading whale watching destinations, so we were pretty excited. We were hoping to spot a resident sperm whale and weren’t disappointed! A female sperm whale and her calf swam by our boat, as did loads of common dolphin, and a loggerhead turtle. Whilst we were watching the turtle we realise that there was a Portuguese man o’ war drifting along under the turtle’s belly. To our surprise the turtle gobbled it up, which was a quick lesson in the kind of foods that they like to eat!
Coasteering and Canyoning
After whale watching, we were ready for Coasteering and Canyoning, both booked with Azorean Active Blueberry, a very professional outfit. As the name suggests, Coasteering is a coastal activity that involves swimming, scrambling, and jumping into the swell from small rock protrusions. I was so impressed by the girls, who jumped from heights that I assumed would be beyond their ability, though this meant that I had to follow suit! The instructors were absolutely fantastic and made it a really special experience for my daughters, filling them with confidence on all of the jumps. Canyoning was equally enthralling, and took us through a densely vegetated gorge that had hot steaming vents in some sections. We slid, waded, jumped and zip-lined our way down and made friends with the rest of the group.
Horse Riding at Livramento
Our next activity of choice was horse riding. We drove to some stables at Livramento, a 500 year old farm that was once used for growing potatoes, and dairy farming. The space was converted into horse riding stables and has been in operation for 25 years. It’s in a lovely little location, surrounded by banana trees.
The horses looked well cared for and the instructors were great. They clearly loved their horses and knew their personalities well, describing their little quirks to the girls. They took us on a little loop through a nearby woodland and along country roads. The very start was a little nerve-wracking because we headed down a pretty steep little path to exit the farm, which meant leaning back in our saddles and holding on tight! It was all plain sailing from there though and we all had a great time. Two hours was the right amount of time for beginners.
Two days exploring the island in our little hire car
In our free time we ate octopus salad at seaside restaurants, swam in the hot pools at Ferraria and Furnas, walked around the botanical gardens at Terra Nostra, went for a coastal walk, drove to the viewpoint at Sete Cidades, and swam in sea pools.
Our SATA Flight and a 30-minute drive to Caloura
The flight with Sata was great. It reminded me of the excitement I used to get when I travelled in the days before budget airlines. The seats were much more comfortable than Easyjet’s and the girls got lots of attention from the flight attendants. Our inflight meal was included and it didn’t feel like very long before we were touching down in Ponta Delgada, the capital of the Azores. Once we had collected our luggage, we headed to the desk for Autatlantis, who we had hired a car with. It’s a small airport so the desk was easy to find and their cars were parked was just a hundred meters away, nice and easy!
After driving from Keswick to London to catch our flight to the Azores, it was ideal to have a short 30-minute drive to get to Caloura. The airport is on the outskirts of Ponta Delgada and we were relieved to find that the roads were really good, as was the signage and relaxed speed of the other drivers. It was a cruisy and scenic drive.
Caloura – Sao Miguel
We had decided to base ourselves in Caloura because we prefer small towns, love the ocean, and wanted easy access to our activities. Caloura is pretty much in the centre of Sao Miguel, so it was an easy drive to all of the places were were hoping to visit.
When we walked into the town and quaint little Port, we were immediately charmed by it. We had a little stroll around the harbour before eating at Bar Caloura, a relaxed seafood restaurant. We ended up eating here for several nights because you didn’t need to book and it looked right across the harbour, so you dine with the sound of crashing waves in the background. Our favourite dish was the octopus salad, which we always followed up with the ‘catch of the day’. We did try limpets but the girls weren’t overly impressed! Our only regret is that we weren’t organised enough to book Adega Caloura Restaurant. We were told that the food is fantastic but it’s very popular amongst locals so you do need to make a reservation.
The Nine Islands of the Azores – Was it what we expected?
Prior to working for Archipelago Choice, I didn’t know much about the Azores but it turned out to be the perfect location for a family holiday!
On Sao Miguel in particular, there are a great range of professionally-run activities, the roads were quiet, and the locals were really welcoming. Similarly to the Lake District where we live, the Azores has its own little micro-climate. We did get rain on occasion but it only came in short bursts and I prefer to have a mix of weather, rather than the sometimes blistering heat of France and Spain.
I would visit the Azores again in a heartbeat and my only regret was that I didn’t spend longer there. I’d like to visit Flores and Corvo on my next holiday, and fit in more walks.
If you would like to visit the Azores:
📞Call Paul on: 017687 21020
💻Or Email: team@archipelagochoice.com
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