This holiday is suitable for adults or children with reduced mobility. We have personally selected hotels that are accessible from entrance to breakfast area to bedrooms (with use of lifts) and are suitable for people with reduced mobility.  The bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms are spacious enough for a wheelchair or walker. None of these hotels have hoist facilities and people considering this holiday should be able to weight bear. Electric wheelchairs cannot be accommodated. The transport that will be used for the trips and airport transfers will be able to hold a folded mobility walker and/or wheelchair and you will need to be able to step into the vehicle. For the sea trips, you will need to step onto the Catamaran, where you will be able to sit in your wheelchair for the duration of the sea trip.  The marina concourse is flat and fully accessible, with several nearby cafes and restaurants offering reasonable prices and easy access via lifts from the street above, where our selected hotels are located.

If you are unsure if this holiday will meet your needs, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss further.

Our guides will assist you onto the Catamaran boat to enjoy this wonderful experience. If you visit in the spring, the temperate spring waters of the Gulf Stream create a phytoplankton bloom attracting a unique gathering of huge, ravenous blue, fin and humpback whales, the largest baleen whales on the planet. These whales migrate past the islands and can be seen in April, May and June, close to land as they stop to feed on their way to the northern Atlantic. This is one of natures great events, the whale equivalent of an all you can eat buffet – this is why we call it the “Gulp Stream”.

During the Summer (July, August, and September) you will have the opportunity to see many species including sperm, beaked and pilot whales, orca and super pods of dolphins as seen on the BBC’s “Blue Planet”. Autumn/Winter (October to March) you will see resident species and it can be wonderful with 15-20-degree warm weather, a lot of winter sunshine and much quieter.

 All our trips are with responsible operators who have sensitivity and respect for the wellbeing of the whales and dolphins. 

“We were on the cat and a huge gasp went up from everyone on board; a fin whale had swum in front of the boat and opened its mouth out of the water to feed. It was only a split second but that sight is engraved on my memory.” Margaret Merris May 2018

The Azores archipelago is renowned as one of the best places to see dolphins and whales in the wild. Throughout the year, March to October being the best time to visit for abundant sightings and diversity of species. The whale numbers and sightings seem to be increasing around the Azores, as are the super pods of various species of dolphins riding in the bow wave of the boat and leaping and twirling with joy. All our trips are with responsible operators who have sensitivity and respect for the wellbeing of the whales and dolphins. The ethos on the Islands is to preserve the natural environment and develop responsible and sustainable tourism that contributes to conservation.

“The ocean around the Azores islands is teeming with resident and transient whales and dolphins. It is one of the best places in the world to see Blue Whales in the spring and an abundance and variety of species all year. These fascinating Islands at sea and on land are easy to reach from the UK, Europe and USA/Canada on direct flights!”

This holiday includes 7 nights in a standard 3* hotel with accessible rooms. You can choose to upgrade to a superior 5* hotel (with accessible rooms). We also have a range of alternative accommodation available.