“Just to thank everyone who made the trip so enjoyable – Jake, Ian and all the team in the Azores. Everyone seemed to do their best to be helpful and make the trip as enjoyable as possible for us. It is greatly appreciated and we will certainly sing your praises to everyone we know who wants to make the trip to such a beautiful place with so much natural flora and fauna to see and enjoy.”
Mr & Mrs Finlayson (Whale watching & swimming with dolphins on Sao Miguel – 13-23 May 2010)

“Our guide deserves a special mention for all his hard work, attention to detail and his genuine concern for everyone. His unfailing enthusiasm for and love of the Azores made our holiday all the more enjoyable. We particularly enjoyed his picnics and the opportunity to sample local produce.”
Mr & Mrs Smith (12-26 June 2010)

A lovely email from some of our guests on our June guided walking holiday….

Dear Archipelago Azores Team,
Ann and I just got back at the weekend from your 14 day walking holiday. Thanks for arranging such a great trip. We loved the hotels, the walks and of course the islands. I think you got a great balance with the walks giving a variety of scenery and an essence of the islands. The hotels were great and we really enjoyed the transfers with the flights and ferries really adding a positive effect to the holiday.

A special note has to be made about the guide Nuno - this guy was fantastic, his knowledge and enthusiasm was great. He took on the challenge of looking after the 12 people and gave it 110%!!
We will definately be heading back there in the future.

Best Regards,
Anthony and Ann Green

“We very much appreciated your help and support during the Iceland volcano flight ban. It was reassuring to know that you were considering our well-being and keeping us up to date with the latest information. An excellent holiday.”
Ms Gray, Azores 03-10 April 2010

“An excellent holiday and the UK office staff were very helpful especially when the return flight to the UK was held up by ash clouds.”
Ms Sandell, Cape Verde 25 March – 08 April 2010

Below is a bit of information about the band.

When Portugal’s radio listeners first encountered the genre-blending, Cornelius-like sounds of Gomo, they were entranced. It was 2001 and Gomo’s demo was put into regular rotation, but the DJs were of no help when listeners phoned in, asking, “Where can I get this lovely and strange music?” Paulo Gouveia, the man who is Gomo, had sent the demo to radio stations with no contact information — just a note saying: “Thanks for all the inspiration. Hope you like this.” The multi-instrumentalist was working on new songs and a multimedia live show while all this was going on, and he had no idea Gomo was becoming an overnight favorite. Reviews in the national press and the invitations to play most of the major summer festivals in Portugal clued him in to the phenomenon and soon he was working with Mario Barreiras, the producer who was partly responsible for Silence 4’s rise to the top of Portugal’s pop charts. It was an odd title for a debut but Best of Gomo was the result, and the quirky, precious, and playful album became a radio and music press favorite when it appeared in early 2004. During October of the same year Gomo won the Best New Artist award given by Portugal’s SIC TV, and he was also nominated as Best Portuguese Act at the MTV European Music Awards 2004.

I must admit, we always make a beeline for ‘Peter’s’ when we visit. The food is wholesome and reasonably priced and the gin and tonics are huge. But it’s the ambience and atmosphere that make it so special. A real cosmopolitan gathering of sailors swapping stories beneath the flag covered ceilings looking out over the marina.

Below are the final results, as compiled by Scuttlebutt Europe

1. Peter-Cafe Sport – Horta, Azores
2. Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club – Hong Kong
3. IYAC – Newport RI, USA
4. Maddie’s Sail Loft – Marblehead, MA USA
5. The Candy Store – Newport, RI, USA
6. Le Select – St. Barts
7. Bitter End Yacht Club – British Virgin Islands
8. Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, Hamilton Bermuda
9. Foxy’s Tamarind Bar and Grill – Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands
10. Willy T – Norman Island, British Virgin Islands

 National Geographic Traveler magazine rated the Azores the second-best islands in the world, behind the Faroe Islands, Denmark. In total, 111 islands and archipelagos were evaluated by 522 experts in sustainable tourism.

The Azores received 84 out of 100 points, being defined as a wonderful place, with buildings in good condition, unspoilt scenery and sophisticated people, most of whom have lived overseas. “The ecosystem—from the beautiful hydrangea-covered hills of Flores to the rock-bottomed bays of Terceira—is in great shape.”

See the article  for more information.

Azores Bullfinch

Archipelago Azores have teamed up with Birdwatch magazine for the last 3 years to organise a reader holiday to Sao Miguel, Terceira and Corvo. We are bowled over to hear that thanks to the generosity of Birdwatch readers and the efforts of the magazine’s staff, this year they will be donating more than £20,000 to the Azores Bullfinch conservation project.  This takes the total raised so far to over £51,000 in three years. For more details see the Birdwatch website.