Did a half day (morning) whale watching tour with a friend starting from Pico. What an incredible…read moreexperience! First, off, it feels great to watch and learn about whales through a company grounded in sustainability and research - not just earning profits. You can tell all the staff are incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about the local wildlife, and they even have internships for those who want to get more involved in the work. In addition to the whales, we learned about local fowl, crabs, and other sealife. Communication and payment was super easy via their website, and I got WhatsApp updates on the meeting spot and timing the day of. They make sure to keep you well protected from the elements with a waterproof jacket and overalls. The boat is not a typical tour boat meant for leisure - this is a small rigid inflatable boat with forward-facing seats meant for a bumpy ride. This is NOT a recommended trip for people with orthopedic injuries, sensitivity to jarring motion, or who are pregnant. They do make a point to check in on everyone to ensure they're doing okay. I am prone to seasickness and I had some nausea while we were idling, waiting for a whale. But, being smaller, it's fairly agile and able to maneuver quickly when chasing a whalespotting tip and my nausea subsided once the boat was moving again. Definitely recommend a tour with Naturalist!

Marine biologist is your tour guide. The boat is small, you will get splashed. It's a fun ride out…read moreto the animals. Your hat might come off in the wind. They retrieved someone's, not sure how they were able to find it. We saw loads of dolphins tight by the boat and two different whales.

PICO DREAMS is located in 5-10 mins walking distance from the center of São Roque do Pico. The…read moreplace is absolutely wonderful! When you check in, you're awed by the spectacular display of the Atlantic on the front and the dense forest in the back of the property. I stayed in one of the units in the back of the property. The place is modernized and clean. The most impressive thing for me was the owner's hospitality. They were incredibly helpful and went above and beyond to make my stay comfortable and convenient. The owner's son, Gonçalo, recommended a wonderful restaurant and a few places to check out nearby. He also taxied me to places at a reasonable cost. While I was there, his willing girlfriend was helping at the place...incredibly sweet and helpful as well. The owner, Isabel, prepares and offers a buffet-style breakfast to guests for 7 euros, which was great. I absolutely love this place and would definitely come back! I HIGHLY recommend it!!

This was our second trip to the Azores but our first time to Pico. We are seasoned foodies and…read morecooks back home in NY....Translated ( not impressed easily... lol) So discovering Atmosfera was a breath of fresh air, or in this case fresh pesto! Cynthia and I combined are 125% Italian so the thought of fresh pasta etc. got us in the car and our way. This place is kind of hard to find. Great property with sweeping views in almost every direction including Mt Pico which I had climbed earlier that day. Let me preface the meal by saying the Azores aren't known for world class cuisine. We love it here, but didn't find any gourmet options on the biggest island - Sao Miguel. So it was surprising that tiny Pico Island would be the place where we finally found a proper gourmet meal prepared by a passionate Italian chef and staff. We had the pesto pasta & the bolognese sauce. The wines were local with some good and very affordable Italian options. The service is personal and warm. Desserts were outrageous; Lemon Meringue Pastry shortbread concoction Panna Cotta We enjoyed so much we returned the following night and ordered some new offerings... Carrot Onion soup - Absolutely amazing with polished presentation ( see pic) Pork Shank- Cynthia ordered this as I normally don't order pork. She let me try it and it stole the show... tender, moist with perfectly prepared roasted potatoes on the side. This dinner was so satisfying we had to skip dessert. We had a different server who was extremely courteous & polished ( which was not our experience at most of the best restaurants on Sao Miguel ). The only negative we felt was the bread. It was served room temperature and just ok. You gotta give a pass for this however , as the Azores aren't London, NY Paris, Rome or San Francisco. In one word.. Delizioso! We hope to return soon

I'm giving this place 2 stars because the location is nice and there's a pretty view…read more We were very disappointed with this restaurant. It claims to be Italian food but I don't find the food here Italian. There's 2-3 Italian dishes and that's it. We ordered 2 appetizers, the cheese board and shrimp cocktail. They were pricy appetizers so I was expecting a large cheese board and a traditional shrimp cocktail with large cold shrimp and cocktail sauce. Instead, we got 6 small slices of cheese, 2 thin slices of pear and 1 walnut. We also got 4 hot over cooked shrimp, a questionable sauce which was not cocktail sauce over a salad... I don't know what that was but it was not shrimp cocktail. The appetizers were very disappointing. We ordered 2 pastas. The waitress raved over the noodles being homemade. I've had homemade noodles before and they're very soft... I didn't find the noodles soft. The sauce also wasn't very good and kind of bitter. We were excited about this place from the reviews but unfortunately we didn't find it very good. With the prices reflected on their menu being on the higher side, I guess we expected more. Advice : appetizers are meant to be shared. 6 small slices of cheese and a few thin sliced pears and 1 walnut isn't enough. Google "restaurant cheese boards" and "shrimp cocktail" and see how they're typically presented at restaurants. Also, shrimp cocktail is something which is very popular and is expected to be a cocktail sauce with chilled shrimp which aren't over cooked or warm.

We had an amazing two night stay here in the Large Tent cabin during our visit to Faial. The staff…read moreand owners are incredibly friendly and helpful. The lodgings are wonderfully designed and fully stocked with helpful utilities and amenities like an espresso maker, hair dryer, fridge and plenty of cookware. The layout is great and the bed was super comfortable. We also enjoyed using the hammock and roof deck, as well as the common space which has cookies, snacks and a well supplied mini bar all in a beautiful space. Hoping we can come back for a longer stay on a subsequent trip here!

We really enjoyed this hotel! We had room 226 which had a nice view over the Horta marina and Pico…read moreisland. The room and hallway looked recently painted, although the bathroom was a little dated. We had a big balcony with a table and chairs. The service at the reception was excellent and friendly. We also tried the a la carte menu at the restaurant. It was excellent!! The waiting staff was really friendly and we noth had a filet mignon (only 22,50) with spinachspread, batatas and shrimps. It was the best dish we had on the whole trip!! We went for another meal the next day. I'm sure the buffet wasn't as nice as the a la carte menu, so if you have the choice, eat a la carte instead of at the buffet. The breakfast was also very nice and one of the few that had a jug of soymilk, which I totally emptied :P We also tried the little hotelgym, that was situated behind the pool and jacuzzi. Maybe the hotel could check it once in a while, some of the equipment looked as if it needed repairment. From the hotel it is quite an easy, but sometimes steep walk to Horta city center.

I stayed here for 8 nights for a conference in June 2014. I did not expect much from the pictures,…read morebut I was pleasantly surprised by a number of factors, most important of which was the friendly service and hospitality. The staff went out of their way whenever someone needed something. A few things to know: Wifi was spotty and slow. For a small amount you can purchase wifi for a week through a local provider and it works in different places on the island. The rooms were updated about 5 years ago and are pretty nice. The beds, however, leave a little to be desired in the way of comfort. They have a full bar area with tv. Nice area to have a drink at the end of the day. Pretty substantial breakfast each morning although the food in the Azores, generally, leaves a lot to be desired. There are two beaches within walking distance, the nicer of which is about a 5-7 minute walk. The hotel is centrally located. Really a perfect spot, steps away from everything. They have a small gym and indoor pool as well as a nice outdoor infinity pool. Beautiful views! I would highly recommend this hotel for this specific location and would not hesitate to return.

One of the most incredible experiences of my life. The Patio staff really take special care of you…read more We were a group of 9 experienced riders and we road the whole island over six days. However you can stay at this lodge with or without riding, and I would highly recommend it. The staff are so helpful and accommodating and the food is incredible. They have Lucitano horses and a few dogs (Lucky and Brownie). The views are breathtaking. Katie was our trail guide and I am so grateful that they hired her because she is perfect for this job, she is happy and kind and kept everyone safe. She helps you enjoy every bit of your trail ride with great energy. Very thankful to the whole staff for this once in a lifetime experience. I pray maybe I will be able to make it back one day.

If you ever have the chance to visit the Azore islands, you are in for a treat. We stayed in a…read morelittle town on the island of Pico. There aren't a ton of places to eat, but we found our favorite. We ate there twice as a matter of fact. The first time was lunch, where we enjoyed their buffet -- it was a great selection of cooked and fresh dishes. Pair with a local wine -- forget about it! The dinner we had was on our anniversary. For what seems like a shack on the docks, this place serves up some high class food. I hope you get to visit!

This hotel is nice and in a beautiful coastal location. Our room was #7 with perk-a-boo views of…read morethe ocean outside our room in the seating area. It was overly perfumed, so we had to keep the window open and door when possible. There is NO a/c, and the window tips open, maybe 30 degrees. We had to put the blankets in the closet under our beds bottom sheet because the mattress was extremely hard. The kitchen area had a nice fridge and kettle, no towel or wash cloth. The pool was extremely difficult to find because no one would take the time to show us. The second day, we had to use google maps to locate it. Find room 11A or B. You follow the sign to the sea and find the blue ropes. You will also see a steep path down to the ladder where you can swim in the ocean. Continuing to the pool you need to go past the green landing with chairs, more blue ropes and go past a house with a short wall. Finally, at the pool, the view is beautiful. The pool is in disrepair and cloudy water, which was concerning. Staff was nice, but little English spoken. No wash clothes in the room, but that is common. Breakfast had some great choices of fruit and the usual. Dinner was great. The cod and octopus plate was yummy. Filet mignon was also very good as was the lapas. All in all it was a nice place, just needs a little elbow grease.

This hotel is absolutely stunning. I went during the off season, so it was about half the regular…read moreprice. It's relatively well maintained and the views are unbeatable. It was built outside of town along the water, so it's very private. You can walk along the "sea trail" that the hotel built and arrive at a number of ocean overlooks. One of them is right next to the water and you can climb down a ladder to go swimming. The breakfast was good and the staff were friendly. The dinner was especially nice and included lots of local produce.