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Posted: Warning: strtotime() [function.strtotime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'UTC' for 'GMT/0.0/no DST' instead in /home/archipel/public_html/whats-new/wp-includes/functions.php on line 35
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'UTC' for 'GMT/0.0/no DST' instead in /home/archipel/public_html/whats-new/wp-includes/functions.php on line 107
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'UTC' for 'GMT/0.0/no DST' instead in /home/archipel/public_html/whats-new/wp-includes/functions.php on line 109
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'UTC' for 'GMT/0.0/no DST' instead in /home/archipel/public_html/whats-new/wp-includes/functions.php on line 111
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'UTC' for 'GMT/0.0/no DST' instead in /home/archipel/public_html/whats-new/wp-includes/functions.php on line 112
February 2nd, 2011 by Sarah Bennett
Special offers for April 2011
Still looking for a holiday in April? We have knocked £100 off selected holidays in April using the direct flight from Manchester and Gatwick.
Whale and dolphin watching experience – 7 nights
Sperm whale breaching
Based in a stunning converted convent, your week will be spent out whale watching, on a history of the whales tour, with a marine biologist looking at their current research, and exploring the cobbled streets of Vila Franca. A fantastic educational week in a lovely location.
Normal price : £1046pp Offer price : £946pp
For more details on this holiday, please see our website
Cycling on Sao Miguel – 7 nights
Cycling on Sao Miguel
With a choice of 2 great itineraries, we have catered for everyone from occasional cyclists to mad fit tourers. Bikes are new Specialised Cross Trails bought at the end of 2010 to replace our old fleet.
For more details on these holidays, please see our website
Walking holiday on Sao Miguel – 7 nights
Sete Cidades crater walk
Explore the craters of Sao Miguel, its boiling pools, its stunning waterfalls and beautiful coastline at your own pace on our independent walking holidays. You can choose to have a hire car and do circular walks or have taxi transfers and do linear walks. Lovely hotel accommodation and great walks.
Self drive – Normal price : £856pp Offer price : £756pp Taxi transfer – Normal price : £959pp Offer price : £859pp
For more details on these holidays, please see our website
Please note : prices are valid for departures on 02 April, 09 April and 16 April 2011. They cannot be combined with any other offer
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Posted: Warning: strtotime() [function.strtotime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'UTC' for 'GMT/0.0/no DST' instead in /home/archipel/public_html/whats-new/wp-includes/functions.php on line 35
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September 22nd, 2010 by Miguel Cravinho
The end of the summer is approaching, but fortunately here in São Miguel it feels far away still. Dolphins and whales cheer us up whenever encountered making everyday special and bright!
This week (13-19 September 2010), we observed five different species, the bottlenose dolphins, the common dolphins, the Atlantic spotted dolphins, the pilot whales and the sperm whales.
Both whales and dolphins are often seen breaching out of the water with spectacular jumps. The reason for these acrobatic leaps can be various from courtship display, simple fun or related to a less joyful cause like trying to eliminate parasites! Cetaceans are in fact affected by various ectoparasites which in some cases can produce damage on their skin, but do not cause death.
Below is a photo of an Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) while leaping out of the water and showing a parasite attached on its flank.
Ectoparasites of whales and dolphins include the acorn and stalked barnacles typically found on humpback whales, or the Cryptolepas rhachianecti another barnacle species found on gray whales. Barnacles are not true parasites as they don’t feed on whale skin, rather they exploit the swimming of the whales to filter food in the water. However, when in great number they can bother whale movements. Gray whales are also affected by lices gathering around wounds and scars and feeding on their skin. Other parasites damaging skin tissue are cookie cutter sharks and possibly sea lampreys.
During one of our encounters with Atlantic spotted dolphins we had the chance to enjoy the sighting of some young individuals leaping high into the air. One of them, at closer look, showed a parasite attached on its flank. Although the resolution of the picture doesn’t help to identify the parasite, its size and shape suggests it could be a cookie cutter shark.
Cookie cutter sharks (Isistius brasiliensis) are so called because they leave cookie-shaped scars on the body of large fishes and marine mammals. They have a cylindrical body and a circular mouth, which contains many teeth used by the shark to remove the flesh of the host.
When we see dolphins showing their acrobatic skills it is not necessarily due to parasites luckily for them, and many exhibitions are related to a courtship display during the breeding season.
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Posted: Warning: strtotime() [function.strtotime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'UTC' for 'GMT/0.0/no DST' instead in /home/archipel/public_html/whats-new/wp-includes/functions.php on line 35
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January 21st, 2010 by Sarah Bennett
Portuguese band, Gomo, have released their new music video filmed on Sao Miguel and featuring one of our properties, Furnas Lake Villas in Furnas.
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.
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Posted: Warning: strtotime() [function.strtotime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'UTC' for 'GMT/0.0/no DST' instead in /home/archipel/public_html/whats-new/wp-includes/functions.php on line 35
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September 15th, 2009 by Sarah Bennett
“The experience has been great, and we found most of the things we desired from such a journey: mild climate, great views and landscapes, no mass tourism and little traffic even on main roads, flourishing and exotic nature, fascinating sea. Also, your itineraries and stopovers, judged now after having acquired some knowledge of the places, were excellent choices.” The Scagni family, Italy (26 Jul – 10 Aug 09)
Sao Miguel, Pico & Faial – cycling holiday
“Jake, who arranged our holiday,was friendly, efficient and knowledgeable. A great asset to your company. Thanks.” Mr & Mrs McAvoy, London (25 Jul – 08 Aug 09)
Sao Miguel – fly-drive holiday
Warning: strtotime() [function.strtotime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'UTC' for 'GMT/0.0/no DST' instead in /home/archipel/public_html/whats-new/wp-includes/functions.php on line 35
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Posted: Warning: strtotime() [function.strtotime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'UTC' for 'GMT/0.0/no DST' instead in /home/archipel/public_html/whats-new/wp-includes/functions.php on line 35
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Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'UTC' for 'GMT/0.0/no DST' instead in /home/archipel/public_html/whats-new/wp-includes/functions.php on line 111
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'UTC' for 'GMT/0.0/no DST' instead in /home/archipel/public_html/whats-new/wp-includes/functions.php on line 112
September 3rd, 2009 by Sarah Bennett
“We are very impressed by your company. We absolutely loved our holiday
Cycling on Sao Miguel
and would certainly consider travelling with you again. Thank you for everything you did, especially in making sure the transfers were smooth even when schedules changed, without us having to do a thing. We will have many wonderful, happy and in some cases funny memories for years to come! Best holiday in years! Thank you!” Mr & Mrs Jasparro (06 – 17 Jul 09) Sao Miguel, Pico & Faial – cycling and walking holiday