Engenho Guest House

Engenho Guest House

Engenho Guest House

Pico Island, Azores

Extend you stay with a trip to more remote Pico Island (one hour flight from Sao Miguel Island). You can explore this stunning island at your own pace (car hire recommended) with the option of adding whale and dolphin watching trips to sea and land tours to your itinerary.

This beautifully restored 18th century Azorean building features ensuite double and family rooms and is located near to our boat base with sea and mountain views.

Shared facilities include a lounge, fully equipped kitchenette (with microwave, fridge, coffee machine and kettle) dining area, and flat-screen cable TV.  There is also coffee shop on site.

Sete Cidades Activity Day

Sete Cidades Activity Day

Sete Cidades Activity Day

Sao Miguel Island, Azores

Half day prices: Adult £55, Child (6-12yrs) £35     

 

Cycling, stand up paddle boarding and kayaking are fun ways to experience the lakes at Sete Cidades and be one with the water and its surroundings. We provide bikes and equipment for your use. You will also be accompanied by a specialist guide. Our pickup and drop off services from Ponta Delgada are included (approx. 40 mins transfer time).

Sete Cidades lake is outstanding in size, being 2.4 miles long, 1.2 miles wide. The perimeter of the lake is coated with incredible hydrangeas. These are most radiant with colour from the months of June to September. There are a number of other lakes in surrounding areas, all with different shades of green and blue.  

The tour includes a nature guide and a variety of activities-based exercise. This includes: kayaking, SUP and cycling. Life jackets and helmets will be provided. There are also dressing rooms with hot showers and a picnic lunch for full day tours.

If this tour is not included in the holiday you are booking and you wish to add it to your itinerary, just let us know at the time of booking. You can also add this tour to your holiday any time before departure and also at our boat base in the Azores (subject to availability – to avoid disappointment, we suggest booking additional tours by the balance due date 8 weeks before departure).

 

“Kayaking inside a volcanic crater on the mid-Atlantic ridge was absolutely unforgettable. Paddling across the serene lake surrounded by steep, lush slopes felt like something out of a dream.” – Duncan Codd

 

Location: SETE CIDADES LAKES

Duration: 4hrs approx. including transfer time

Included: Guide, kayak, SUP, lifejacket, bike, helmet, dressing rooms with showers, transfers from Ponta Delgada.

Please Bring: Comfortable clothes & shoes, sweater, raincoat, backpack, swimsuit and towel, hat, sunscreen, change of clothes, water and snacks.

The buffet lunch on the Sete Citades trip was really excellent with a good choice even though we tend not to eat meat. We also enjoyed the choice of activities on that trip with a short cycle trip and then chance to kayak on the blue/green lakes. Our guide was very knowledgeable and informative.

 

The tours to Furnas and Sete Cidades were really impressive and showed what a beautiful and unique place the island is. We really felt that we got to know the island really well and the local tour guides ensured that we saw as much as possible.

 
Lagoa do Fogo & Caldeira Velha

Lagoa do Fogo & Caldeira Velha

Lagoa do Fogo & Caldeira Velha

Sao Miguel Island, Azores

Prices: Adult £53, Child £27

This wonderful tour takes you to the natural reserve of Lagoa Do Fogo to enjoy hot thermal nature at its best. Ascend to the highest point of the island to see the fire lake with dramatic views of two coasts from the summit. On the route back, there will be a stop at Caldeira Velha where a short walk through some tropical rain forest will take you to an absolute gem, a hot thermal water fall under the canopy of a volcanic outcrop. Remember to bring your bathing suit so you can spend some time in the mineral-rich, hot thermal waters (subject to pools being open – they are closed after rainfall for cleaning). This is nature at its best. There is also a pickup and drop off service to and from your hotel.  

If you wish to add this trip to your itinerary, just let us know at the time of booking. You can also add this tour to your holiday any time before departure and at our boat base in the Azores (subject to availability). To avoid disappointment, we suggest booking additional tours by the balance due date 8 weeks before departure.  

(Suitable for all ages)

 

What to bring:

  • Comfortable light clothes
  • Hiking boots or shoes
  • Sweater, raincoat
  • Sunscreen, hat and backpack
  • Swimsuit & towel
  • Water and snacks

 

 

On Thursday we did the half day trip to Lagoa do Fogo. The geothermal pools are in a beautiful setting. We swam in the pools and then drove to the beach where we saw an old lava flow and a layer of pumice several metres thick. This trip gave the kids a really good understanding of the volcanology of the island. – Sally Smart April 2022

 
Snorkelling in the Islet of Vila Franca & whale watching

Snorkelling in the Islet of Vila Franca & whale watching

Whale Watching & Visit the Islet of Vila Franca

Sao Miguel Island, Azores

Prices: Adult £117, Child £74

You will board the RIB zodiac boat at the base and be taken along the coast to Vila Franca. During this activity you will have the opportunity to see some of many of the species of dolphin and whales that can be found in the Azores.  Although nature offers no guarantees whales and dolphins are regularly seen during our full day tours, along with turtles, sea birds and other marine life. You will be away from the main tourist boats as you travel further along the coast. Before the boat trip our biologists give you a briefing to explain which cetacean species can be observed, safety measures aboard, how we respect the animals and rules of observation at sea as well as some historical facts. After the 3-hour tour we stop in Vila Franca do Campo and take a short uphill walk (approx. 10 minutes ) to have lunch in a local restaurant.

After lunch we board a converted traditional fishing boat and head to Vila Franca do Campo Islet, a volcanic crater off the coast that encloses a natural lagoon where the sea is calm and there is beautiful coral, colourful fish and magical underwater world to discover. The islet is a natural reserve, so here you will be able to view the diversity of fish species that have been preserved due to this protection. 

(For ages 8yrs and over)

 Included in this tour: 

  • Return transfer from Ponta Delgada by boat or van
  • Pre-tour briefing 
  • Life jacket  
  • Marine biologist or nature guide onboard  

NOTE: Mask and snorkel not provided. You will be able to hire locally at Azores Sub Shop in Vila Franca marina for 6 euros per mask & snorkel or please bring your own equipment with you.

Please note: This activity is only available during the summer season. If you wish to add it to your itinerary, just let us know at the time of booking. You can also add this tour to your holiday any time before departure and also at our boat base in the Azores (subject to availability. To avoid disappointment, we suggest booking additional tours by the balance due date 8 weeks before departure). 

“Snorkelling at the islet of Vila Franca do Campo was the most amazing experience. Safe for kids, clean and with so many fish to see it was an absolute joy to visit” – Zoe Whannel July 2022

 
Hiking and Cycling Tours

Hiking and Cycling Tours

Biking Tours

Sao Miguel Island, Azores

Prices: Adult £45, Child £25

On our full day tour, we explore the west side of São Miguel and the volcanic complex of Sete Cidades. Across a stretch of 25 km, you will have the opportunity to learn about the fauna, flora, history, volcanic formation of the island, and of course, you will hear the legendary love story behind the formation of the lake. Along the route, as we pedal across the rim of the crater, we have superb views over several lakes in the region as well as the adjacent coastline. Lunch will be set on the shore of the blue lake of Sete Cidades. At the end of the journey we stop in Ferraria where there is a magnificent ocean bathing area, where the salt water is heated from inside a volcanic fissure. 

TOUR INCLUDES – Nature guide – Mountain bike – Visit to the surrounding volcanic region of Sete Cidades – Visit to Ferarria – Picnic lunch (sandwich, cake, fruit, water, juice) – Pick up and drop off at the tourism office or your hotel. This tour is a full day tour so lasts 7.5 hours. The tour operator speaks English, German and Spanish. 

If you wish to add these to your itinerary, just let us know at the time of booking. You can also add this tour to your holiday any time before departure and also at our boat base in the Azores (subject to availability. To avoid disappointment, we suggest booking additional tours by the balance due date 8 weeks before departure). 

(For ages 8yrs and over)