My husband and I did a quick island hope from Terceria to San Miguel. We were only in San Miguel…read morefor a short time and wanted to see as much as we could while there, so we hired SeaZores to tour us. It was a great decision. Sergio was our guide's name and he is phenomal! He is a local full of knowledge. He took us to most worthy sites the beautiful island has to offer. We only wish we had another day to spend with Sergio @ Seazores. The tour was super comfortable in a nice truck. It included an amazing lunch loaded with all the traditional dishes & portuguese foods in a buffet style. We enjoyed conversing with Sergio over the great meal, his island wisdom made the tour so much more than sightseeing alone. The tour service was reserved online and provided prompt & secure service with Our guide waiting for us in the Hotel lobby & providing verbal confirmation the night before. From the breath taking views, to the warm hot springs water, to the cow traffic moo-ving along, the divine meal, the knowledge & friendly service this tour was a worth every bit.

From the owner: azores shore excursions, safari 4wd tours and sport fishingread more

We stayed at the Azor and this walkable shop had very modern and affordable gifts. It was…read morerelatively small and compact and their offerings can not be found elsewhere. We purchased some cool decorative pineapples, some jewelers and other cool pieces for short money. Happy shopping and don't forget the mall has a second floor .

I struggled a bit for the proper way to sum this experience up:…read more -teeth-rattlingly rough in calm seas -like a two-hour trip on a bucking bronco -take 6 Advil and call me in the morning -not for people over 35-adrenaline junkies only -least favorite whale watching trip -like sitting in a middle seat on an international plane trip -root canals are more pleasant -would tell my friends to "skip this" So let me explain: we've been of "whale watching" trips all over the globe from Boston to Hawaii, Alaska to Tahiti -it's something we seek out so when I heard the azores is home to lots of whales and dolphins it sounded like a "must do" for us. In my book, Any whale watching trip has three key parts (1) do you see whales? -often up to Mother Nature (2) quality of the crew-do they add to the experience? And (3) boat/craft/accommodations-is it comfortable and pleasant? So how did they do? (1)-5 stars: right away we saw a huge school of spotted dolphins feeding with birds in a frenzy-super cool. Near the very end of our excursion, over 2 HOURS LATER- we encountered a pod of sperm whales including a juvenile-a bit hard to see and they were always only on left side but a true once in a lifetime thing. (2) as for our naturalist Katarina and our skipper, let's call him Mario--mixed-2 stars . K did a good job talking about species while skipper drove the boat as if he was trying to bounce us all out-we endured over an hour of jarring slamming despite the relatively calm seas. I was seated near the middle of the boat and to be fair they stress it's less violent in the back but even given that, a young lady one row from the veryback got sick due to the violent bouncing -again in relatively calm seas with average swells. -2 stars is generous (3) experience-maybe it's my own fault and I should have done more research-ALL MY PRIOR WHALE WATCHING were on catamarans, cruiser and even an 8-person zodiac. This boat while in the style of a large inflatable was configured more like Ryan air but with even less personal space and held around 30 people. There were three rows of 2 forward facing bench seats followed by around 6-8 rows of single "seats" actually more like padded benches that you straddle -had the same feeling as a wide bicycle seat or a horse saddle. Passengers are nested one behind another with maybe 12-15" from my face to the back of the head of the guy in front of me. In the back was one bench seat for 5. Now imagine spending 3HOURS IN A MIDDLE SEAT bouncing across the waves-ZERO STARS-absolutely horrible. Bottom line: knowing what I know now, and even with 100% chance of seeing another pod of Sperm whales, I just would not go. It was physically just to uncomfortable and I had to cancel other planned activities in the Azores as a direct result of this "experience" I can't recommend this to anyone outside 20-35 age group.

We've been on whale watching trips in other parts of the world and overall we think this experience…read morewas well organized and the staff was professional and nice, however unfortunately there was not much whale watching to be done. I guess in part one can say nature can't be predicted or controlled, however even with the people supposedly assisting to locate the whales there was very little to be seen. Also the boats are small and therefore can go fast which means the ride tends to be bumpy so ride at your own risk. If you get seasick easily then either medicate before going on the trip or avoid it altogether.

NÃO RESERVE! DO NOT BOOK! Terrible. They charged for…read moreinsurance twice and fought me on the charges. There was a small scratch on the rental car and they wanted €350, which was not covered by the €500 insurance. Péssimo. Cobraram o seguro por duas vezes e ainda questionaram a cobrança. Havia um pequeno risco no carro que alugámos e queriam 350€, o que não estava coberto pelos 500€ do seguro.

This business is completely unprofessional and unreliable. We booked a tour on Get Our Guide two…read moredays prior to the trip. We recieved confirmation from Get Our Guide. When we arrived on the morning of the tour the staff told us that ANC Azores Holidays cancelled our excursion-no explanation. They said they notified Get Our Guide but when I spoke to Get Our Guide they said they received no communication from the company. The said they couldn't rebook us on another excursion today or tomorrow. They never attempted to communicate with us. And basically said we don't know what to tell you. Completely unprofessional. Refused to refund us and told us to deal with Get Our Guide. Not helpful in trying to resolve the issue. Unfortunately they caused us to lose a day in country.

ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I'VE EVER DONE!!…read more Ok, now if that doesn't get your attention, I don't know what else will! When researching things to do in Sao Miguel I came across this company on Tripadvisor and started to look at their website options. I really had no idea what Canyoning was, but the pictures looked cool, and I signed our group up to do a half day tour. Communication via email with Paulo ahead of time was a breeze and we were able to get the time slot we wanted, and give him our information ahead of time so he had the right shoes, wetsuits etc for us. I was also able to pay ahead of time via paypal, which makes my credit card rewards very happy lol. Paulo arrived right on time for our pick up and we stopped on the way to grab another couple. 3 more people met us at the site, so our group was a total of 9, with Paulo and Carla there as our guides. After a short trek up the canyon it was time for some waterfall rappelling, some waterfall jumping, stream exploring, and overall fun! I can't say enough good things about the day. We all walked away completely in awe of the beauty, the fun, the professionalism, and the overall experience!! The pictures and videos Paulo took on his gopro were emailed to us that same night! Now, I just need to get back so I can go Coasteering next!!

We had a great canyoning trip with our guides Bruno and Carla. We were in town for the day on a…read morecruise ship and I had seen the rave reviews for Azorean Active Blueberry on Trip Advisor. I reached out to the owner, Paulo, who was incredibly helpful and responsive. He arranged for our transportation to the site and was very communicative about what we would need for the day. In all, our group was 8 with our 2 guides. The entire time, I felt comfortable. Carla and Bruno took the time to get to know our names and make us feel comfortable. During moments where I would normally feel anxious, their expertise made me feel at ease. This is a great tour for beginners to those with intermediate experience. The hike up to the top was a workout! Thank you for a great experience! Very reasonable price as well.

Very disappointed. Much smaller than I expected. Very small pools to accommodate the tickets they…read moresell. Lockers are run down and basically wooden boxes some with holes and barely fit a back pack. Very few outdoor changing rooms, which makes no sense, again, for the amount of people that they let in at the same time.

A stunning, magical, green epitome of nature that you must visit in Azores! They told us that you…read morepay the entrance fee of €3, you can go look inside, and if you want to go into the thermal pools, you pay another €5. Because we were with a tour guide, we got a discount, so we paid the bare minimum entrance fee of €1.50, but once we decided to do the thermal pools, there wasn't even anyone around to take our money for the extra entrance fee. So we got to do it all for dirt cheap! I guess you're supposed to give it to them on your way out, but no one does. So just pay the lower amount, because in the end, it doesn't even matter. The trees, moss, ferns, and flowers are majestic. The first two thermal pools you see are the hotter ones, and the one with the waterfall is the colder one. You can take unique photos in all three, but my favorite was the one with the waterfall. Definitely bring a swimsuit you don't care about, because the water will give it a yellow tint. And there are changing rooms and bathrooms, but nothing else, so bring a towel, flip-flops, and water. This was one of the highlights of our Azores trip - make sure to go!

Beautiful view. You need a rental car to get here but definitely worth it. It had been to foggy to…read moresee the Lagoa do Fogo, so we were thrilled to get to see these two lakes. I didn't see them as two colored, but the view is great.

A definite must see on Sao Miguel. Beautiful drive from Ponta Delgada, it's otherworldly as you…read moremake your ascent. Recommend renting a car, but the roads are very windy so a confident driver is best. Stunning views, and when the hydrangeas are blooming, it's extremely idyllic. The Miradouro da vista do rei gives you a stunning view of the two lakes and a peak at the village of Sete Cidades. I recommend getting their early to have the view less crowded and it's easier to park. From the parking lot, you can follow a hiking trail that is lined with hydrangeas and cows with stunning views. The whole trail is about 7 miles and goes down to the parish (it is one way). You do not have to hike the entire thing to get great views though, we went out and back and did about three miles total. Not super strenuous and it was well maintained.

Really neat spot we hit while on the west side of the island. The drive down to the parking lot can…read morebe a bit precarious, but once you reach it there is ample parking. I recommend water shoes as the shoreline is all volcanic rock and a lot of it is sharp. You can explore the immediate coastline for some awesome views and then head past the restaurant to the natural pool. There is an indoor and outdoor pool available for use for a fee. The restaurant has a few snack/light options and service was quick and the servers were kind. Restrooms were clean if you need to change on site. The natural pool is free to enter and is at the end of short trail, and during low tide it is warm but not so much during high tide so be mindful if you want a fully warm experience. There are life guards on duty and two ladders available to enter and exit the pool. Not terribly crowded and nice even at high tide. Great way to cool off after hiking around Sete Cidades.

This is my first trip to Sao Miguel and Termas da Ferraria has ensured it won't be my last. We…read morespent the day in the spa, and also venturing down to the thermal pool. We also headed down even further to the natural thermal area surrounded by volcanic rocks. They installed a couple of ladders and ropes so you don't have to fear getting swept out into the ocean. After that we sat outside and had lunch and then headed back into the spa. It was starting to get really busy as we were leaving at 4pm. It was a great find!

Lagoa das Furnas was one of my two favorite places to visit on Sao Miguel, a huge, calm, gorgeous…read morelake, home to flocks of placid ducks and geese, with excellent hiking trails up the mountains off the main path around the lake. The great draw for me was the quiet. It was possible to find near-total solitude early in the day, to breathe with trees, to listen to bird calls, free from the roar of tour bus engines. There is a small entrance fee -- very nominal IIRC, something like 50 cents for adults and older children, free for very young children. This Lagoa is one of the three larger, better known crater lakes on the island. It's still slightly off the beaten track for international tourists, but is perennially popular with local vacationers, many of whom spend an entire day making cozidas, grilling, picnicking and strolling around it. The hiking trails are well maintained and there's the intoxicatingly sweet smell of Kahili ginger flowers everywhere (those clusters of yellow flowers you see and smell all over the island). The paths the branch off from the main lake trail are cool and dark well into the middle of the day, offering respite from the heat of the sun. There's a lot to explore on these side trails: abandoned buildings, carved wooden statues, an old church, even a waterfall we heard of (but didn't see). The main, mostly flat trail is suitable for even young children, while many of the side trails branching into the mountains can be navigated carefully with an active, energetic three-year old, with some help on the larger steps (and a good carrier for when the baby steam runs out). Our six-year old sprang up them like a mountain goat. Right by the parking lot at the northern tip of the lake, there are fumarolas, where it's a big deal for families and restaurants to cook all-day cozidas (stews) in the hot, bubbling, sulfur yellow mud. There are also restrooms (home to a good number of tiny, slender, beautiful cats), a lovely picnic area set among pine trees, a few vendors selling snacks, fresh juice, and souvenirs. We didn't make it all the way around, but we hear the entire circumference of the lake takes about two hours to walk, with about 1/3 of the way along EN1-1A, a busy main road.