Holiday FAQ’s

You will always see a lot of marine life in the Azores, it is an exceptional destination for dolphins and whales. Spring (April, May and June) is the best time to see Blue Whale, Humpback Whales and Fin Whales as they migrate past the islands and stay to feed on the nutrient rich waters. There are excellent sightings of these ocean giants from all of the Islands during spring. Summer (July, August and September) you are certain to see many species including Sperm Whales, Beaked Whales, Orca, Pilot Whales and super pods of dolphins, as seen on BBC’s “Blue Planet. Hundreds of dolphins can be spotted in every direction turning the sea into a bubbling cauldron as they leap and dive in the water! Autumn/Winter (October to March) can be wonderful with 15-20 degree warm weather and a lot of winter sunshine and much quieter with great walks.  

We do not include flights in the cost of our holidays, and we cannot book these for you. Please provisionally reserve your holiday with us then book your flights. We give guidance on booking flights to the Azores here

The Azores has an equable climate all year round. We have found the summer to be the best time for our trips. Temperatures range from a mild 16°C (60°F) in winter to a comfortable 26°C (79°F) in summer. The sea is warmed by the Gulf Stream. Sea temperatures in summer are 20-22°C

Average monthly temperatures are given below for the Azores

Our guests vary from couples, friends and families to independent travellers.  We have special holidays that are most suitable for families and those that are more adult- focused. The small group tours are great for solo travellers to easily meet others and people who like to mix socially and have all details taken care of by our dedicated guide.

These holidays are an adventure. What we offer is an active experience of the whales and dolphins, which is very exhilarating and the opportunity to spend time in the regenerating power of nature and explore these remote islands.

Although our expert guides will be sharing their knowledge with you on every sea excursion you may want to brush up on your whale and dolphin species.

Practise using your cameras and binoculars.

Get excited!

You may also like to read books and watch films and documentaries about whales and dolphins. A few we recommend are:

Blackfish (YouTube or Prime)

The Cove (free on You Tube)

In the Wild – Dolphins with Robin Williams (free on You Tube)

All of the dolphin and whale watching trips are hosted by our local team: marine biologists, guides on boats and front desk team. This means that any queries you may have can be discussed with the front desk and any extra trips can be booked directly. Before going out to sea you will be given an informative presentation all about the marine life in the Azores from the resident marine biologists.

When on the boats the guides and marine biologists will ensure you get information about the sightings as well as supporting you to get the best sightings possible.

The local team love what they do with a passion and are very enthusiastic to ensure you have the best possible time.

Choose from either a large stable catamaran for great vantage points, toilet facilities and indoor/outdoor seating. or our faster hard-hulled rigid inflatable boat (RIB) for an exhilarating ride and to get close to the action quickly. The RIB’s have cushioned seats and almost “fly” through the water. We offer flexibility when booking these holidays to fit with your timing and preferences. You can add on more trips to your holiday as you choose. 

In co-operation with the local Azorean authorities, a recognised code of conduct and ethics on the water has been established (see best practice guidelines below). These regulations ensure the whales and dolphins, people and the environment are respected. The dolphins love the boats and play in the bow waves. We would never endorse anything that disturbed them. There is a wonderful spirit of co-operation and mutual respect out on the water. We keep a specific distance away from the big whales, although the incidence of whales approaching us, with engine off, has been increasing and is very exciting.

2025 DATES: Friday 23 May to Wednesday 28 May

On the fifth week after Easter (starting Friday to the following Thursday) thousands of immigrants return each year to the Azorean islands – especially São Miguel. They celebrate the second biggest religious festival in Portugal – Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres bringing together tourists, local people and immigrants alike. Buildings and streets are beautifully decorated with lights and flowers.

There are philharmonic bands, carousels, street food vendors and stalls selling a wide variety of goods. A main procession takes place on the fifth Sunday after Easter during which the image of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres is carried. More information about the festival can be found here

In the unlikely event that you do not have any sightings during your trip to sea you will be offered another trip free of charge by our local boat company.

For those participating in the swimming with dolphins in water encounters, we can say there are no dangerous sharks around the Islands.
Obviously in the open ocean there are some sharks, however they generally inhabit a region much further from shore than our boats go out (we tend to stay close to the coast) and they are quite satisfied by their plentiful food supply. We have never had an incident where a shark has approached a swimmer. They would be very wary and as far as we know, none have ever approached a swimmer in a detrimental way with no reports here. Very occasionally, we do hear of sightings of Hammerheads or other non-dangerous kinds of shark, but they are known not to come near boats when there are dolphins around. The guides are of course vigilant and would see a shark fin if one was in the area.

Safety is our prime concern and, on occasion, boat trips must be postponed. As the Azores is an oceanic climate, we cannot determine the weather. Although the seasons we choose are the most favourable, adverse sea conditions, caused by winds, may mean a boat trip is unexpectedly postponed. We have made allowances for the weather by advance provision of additional trips, so we can be flexible to fit in with the weather. In the unlikely event of your trips being delayed due to bad weather, alternative activities will be arranged and replacement tours will be re-booked for later in the tour. Even with some bad weather, it is extremely rare to not have all scheduled trips. If we are unable to reschedule or rebook another trip (either sea or a land based alternative) you will receive a refund of the money you paid for your sea based tour.

Few people on our trips have been affected by seasickness, but if you think you might, please bring your preferred treatment, as we do not supply any medication. There are local pharmacies on the islands.

We will talk you through all the travel details and recommend the best flights to book for your holiday.  Our representatives will be there to meet you on arrival at the airport and accompany you to your accommodation. You will have a program of sea/land trips for your week with full details and instructions about what to take, hotel pick up times for land tours and the location of our boat base for boat check-in. On departure day, we will collect you from your hotel and take you to the airport in good time for your flight home.

In the hotel, good vegetarian food is available. There are some vegetarian/vegan restaurants. Gluten free options can be catered for – Local supermarkets stock vegan/gluten free/ plant based products in the town centre.

It is not always possible to cater for specific dietary requirements like food allergies, so please discuss these with us when you book. The standard of cuisine is excellent, offering Portuguese and a mixture of other international influences. There are many local fish and meat specialities.

The following examples of vegan food are likely to be available at breakfast.

• Bread with no added milk
• Cereals, such as müsli, granola, oatmeal, quinoa
• Fruits
• Alpro and Organic Beverages and Desserts like coconut, oat, almond
• Salt and Water Biscuit and Corn
• Butters of vegetable origin

IMPORTANT: Please inform staff at the hotel reception when you arrive if you require vegan substitutes at breakfast (soya milk or soya yoghurt for example). If these are not already stocked at the hotel these are usually purchased for you for the length of your stay.

We highly recommend ROTAS vegetarian restaurant in Ponta Delgada. The restaurant is small and popular so early booking is advised. Please ask your hotel reception to book a table for you or you can email the restaurant before you arrive in the Azores:  [email protected]

The large catamaran has toilet facilities at the rear of the boat. There are no toilet facilities on the RIB boats. If anyone urgently needs to use the toilet there is a bucket at the back with a privacy screen (guests and skipper all look to the front).

The local language is Portuguese, although most people we work with speak excellent English. The currency is in Euros. There are cash machines in town. You can pay by credit card for food at the hotel and for souvenirs at the whale-watch base or hotel, or carry some cash.

Car seats are automatically reserved for children to comply with EU regulations.

Children of any age can participate in our whale and dolphin watching boat trips on our large, stable catamaran boat with viewing platform, indoor seating and toilet facilities. The minimum age for all other activities on our RIB boat is 8 years. This includes swimming with wild dolphins,  our “Be a Marine Biologist for the Day” full day at sea, whale watching and snorkelling in the reef of the Islet of Vila Franca and half day whale watching trips to sea on our RIB boat.

You will be fitted with a mask and snorkel like the one in the picture below. These are thoroughly cleaned and are available in different sizes. You are free to use your own mask and snorkel if you prefer and we recommend that you practice with your snorkel and mask to ensure you feel comfortable using them in the water before your trip to sea.

Trips to sea:

– Half day Swimming with Wild Dolphins (3hrs – RIB boat – ages 8yrs and over).

– Half day Whale and Dolphin Watching (3hrs – CAT – all ages).

– Full day “Be a Marine Biologist for the Day” whale and dolphin watching trip to sea (6hrs – RIB boat – includes lunch) ages 6yrs and over.

– July – Sept only full day whale and dolphin watching and snorkelling in the reef of the Islet of Vila Franca– ages 8yrs and over.

Land tours (with hotel pick up and drop off) can include for example:

– Half or full day jeep/van tours to the “Fire Lake – LAGOA DO FOGO” – suitable for all ages. 

– Half or full day jeep/van tours, walking tours, cycling, stand up paddle boarding and kayaking on the lakes at SETE CIDADES LAKES – ages 8yrs and over. 

– Full day tour to volcanic village of FURNAS (bathe in geothermally heated pools and eat lunch cooked underground)  – suitable for all ages. 

– Half or full day guided hiking tours – suitable for all ages. 

– Half or full day guided cycling tours – ages 8yrs and over. 

– Half or full day canyoning – ages 7yrs and over. 

The authorities in the Azores prohibit the use of fins not only because of splashing but also because of the possibility of guests swimming faster and further than the 50m permitted around the boats. This can compromise the safety of guests and other boats in the area know they are not permitted to come within 50m of another boat. The boats will not be allowed to go out if wind strength and wave height compromises the safety of guests in any way.

Common dolphin – Year round

Bottlenose dolphin – Year round

Risso’s dolphin – Year round

Sperm whale – Year round

Blue whale – March-June

Fin whale – March-June

Sei whale – March-July

Pilot whale – April-October

Striped dolphin – March-September

Atlantic spotted dolphin – June-December