“Overall, it was a fantastic holiday – with loads of new experiences and lots to do – lots of colour and local celebrations (we saw the cavalhadas parade in Ribeira Seca and in Ribeira Grande).”
Miss O, Letchworth (13-26 June 09)

“We have had a wonderful holiday, and it’s all thanks to you and your fantastic team. We would certainly recommend your company to anybody, and indeed we already have.”
Mr & Mrs M, Lancs (06-20 June 09)

Last month, we sent Ursula Kenny from the Observer to the islands of Fogo, Santiago and Sal and she had a wonderful time. We tailored her holiday carefully (as we do with all our clients) so were delighted when she referred to us a ’small and skilled company’ in the article. Here are the first few paragraphs, for the rest just click on the link at the bottom :

Why Cheap Sunshine is just part of the story

It’s fair to say that the island of Sal on Cape Verde receives a mixed press.

Fishing boats on the beach in Tarrafal, Santiago

Certainly the Bradt guide doesn’t mince words. “The arrival … on an international flight is a deliciously depressing descent … relentlessly brown and featureless … Disembarking … you will gaze at the rocky plains in puzzlement, trying to remember why you decided to come.”

Still, it is where trips to the Cape Verde archipelago – 10 islands 400 or so miles off the coast of Senegal in West Africa – tend to begin and end for us Brits.

Sal is one of only two Cape Verde islands you can fly to direct from London, and most visitors come on package tours, lured by the promise of winter sun rather than pleasing scenery. I can confirm that it is indeed a bleak and uninspiring landscape that greets visitors after the five-and-a-half hour flight from Gatwick; dusty plains as far as the eye can see, dotted with skeletons of unfinished buildings – the result of half-finished projects started by foreign investors who ran out of money.

On the trip from the airport to the coastal resort of Santa Maria our attention is particularly drawn to a massive development called Cotton Bay, where a 36-hole golf course as well as a shopping centre, spa and casino are planned. There is local concern about development across Cape Verde apparently. Lack of fresh water is an issue on all the islands. Nearly all the water on Sal, (Portuguese for salt) for example, comes from desalination plants.

View the full article on the Guardian Observer website

Three of the Azores islands have excellent canyoning : Sao Miguel, Sao Jorge and Flores. Flores offers the greatest diversity of routes from steep drops to easy routes. Sao Jorge  has harder routes which are more difficult to reach as most of them are only accessible by boat. While Sao Miguel’s routes are mainly in the interior of the island and are less steep. Canyoning is still very new to the Azores and only on Sao Miguel are there currently qualified and licensed guides operating but several groups a year choose to go on their own or take their own guides as many of the routes are now bolted.

Flores canyoning
With the greatest potential for canyoning, Flores had its first route opened in 2004. 3 expeditions later, there are now 25 routes mapped  ranging from relatively easy to technically difficult. The longest route is 500m and the biggest vertical height difference on a route is 220m. However, there are some shorter routes which take just 1 hour to complete and are suitable for the less experienced. Many of the routes have beautiful natural pools and are centred around Faja Grande, the west coast between Mosteiros and Lagedo and the southeast coast between Santa Cruz and Lages.

Sao Jorge canyoning
The first route on Sao Jorge was explored in 2006 but this island has some wonderful medium grade routes due to the abundance of water and geology of the island which has resulted in some impressive waterfalls. There are 17 routes on Sao Jorge ranging between 1 to 6 hours.

Sao Miguel
With 11 interesting routes, Sao Miguel’s canyoning is mostly in ravines and the routes are generally not that steep. The first route was opened in 1997 and now there are a few companies offering guided canyoning days on the island mainly in the Nordeste area.