Azores family adventure holiday, whales and dolphins

Description of Azores family adventure holiday, whales and dolphins

Imagine your children spotting their first whale in the wild, kayaking across a lake inside an enormous volcanic crater, watching steam rise straight from the earth and ending the day splashing around in the hotel pool.

Our Family Azores Island Explorer is a seven-night adventure on São Miguel designed to give children plenty to get excited about while making the holiday easy for parents too. The week combines wildlife, volcanoes, outdoor adventure and time to relax, with the main experiences organised in advance and plenty of breathing space between them.

You’ll head into the Atlantic twice in search of wild whales and dolphins. Every trip is different and sightings can never be guaranteed, but for children there is something wonderfully exciting about scanning the horizon, learning what the crew are looking for and suddenly seeing a fin, blow or pod of dolphins appear in open water.

Back on land, one of the highlights is a full day at Sete Cidades. Travel through the huge volcanic landscape by 4x4 before heading down to the famous crater lakes, where families can get out onto the water by kayak or explore by bike. For younger children or families who would prefer something gentler, we can use our predefined scenic alternative instead.

Then there is Furnas, where São Miguel becomes one enormous natural science lesson without anybody having to call it one. Steam rises from the ground, mineral springs bubble through the volcanic landscape and lunch is traditionally cooked underground using geothermal heat. You’ll also explore the beautiful Terra Nostra Garden, with the chance to swim together in its huge naturally heated thermal pool.

Importantly, we haven’t filled every minute. Free time gives you the chance to enjoy Ponta Delgada as a family, find an ice cream, wander along the waterfront, swim, relax by the pool or simply have a slower day when everyone needs one.

Your stay is based in family-friendly four-star accommodation in Ponta Delgada. Depending on your family size, ages and preferred rooming, we can use family rooms or apartment-style accommodation, with facilities such as a swimming pool making it easy to relax between adventures.

This is a set family programme, with the option to swap one of your two standard whale-watching trips for our more immersive Be a Marine Biologist for a Day experience, subject to availability and minimum participant numbers.
This is particularly well suited to children and teenagers with a keen interest in marine life. Alongside searching for whales and dolphins at sea, they’ll learn how marine biologists identify and study different species, discover how observations and photographs become scientific data and, where conditions allow, listen for cetacean clicks and vocalisations using a hydrophone. It’s also a brilliant opportunity for young people who are curious about what studying or working in marine biology might actually involve.

If you would rather choose a different combination of activities or build the holiday around your children’s particular interests, our Tailor-Made Azores Holidays are designed for that.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

International flights are not included. Direct UK flight options to the Azores are more limited for 2027 than in previous years, so we strongly recommend checking suitable flights before confirming your dates. Indirect routes via mainland Portugal can work very well, and we can also put you in touch with our flight-agent partner.

Departure information