Azores accessible whale watching holiday
This Azores accessible whale watching holiday makes use of stable catamarans to provide you with a safe and comfortable experience. These wildlife-rich islands play host to a wide range of whale and dolphin species, with expert guides on hand to fill in the fascinating details.
Suitable for wheelchair users and travellers with limited mobility One of the world’s best places to see whales and dolphins Expert local guides on every boat trip Wheelchair-accessible accommodation Host of other activities available
Price
£995To£1195 excluding flights
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More info
Price range is based on accessible 3* or 5* hotel and includes 7 nights bed and breakfast, 3 half day dolphin and whale watching tours and airport transfers.
This holiday can start on any day of the week to fit in with flights.
Description of Azores accessible whale watching holiday
An Azores accessible whale watching holiday that is suitable for anyone with reduced mobility who can bear their own weight for a while, or who requires the use of a wheelchair (please note that this excludes almost electric wheelchairs). Not only will you enjoy comfortable wildlife viewing from a comfortable and stable catamaran, but you will stay in a welcoming, wheelchair-accessible hotel and, if necessary, taxi transfers to the boat dock can be arranged. There are accessible toilets at the boat dock as well.
The Azores rank among the finest places in the world to see dolphins and whales in the wild, with many species either calling these nutrient-rich waters home, or passing through regularly. Since the last whales were hunted here in 1987, the islands have now turned to protecting these gentle giants, and as part of that, expert marine biologist guides will accompany your boat trips. They record data from sightings, pass along fascinating information about the animals you’re seeing, and also help the boat pilots keep a safe distance from the whales.
You’ll be based on the main island of Sao Miguel. The capital, Ponta Delgada, has a number of good accessible restaurants that we’ll be pleased to recommend for your convenience. We can also help arrange a host of other fun activities on the island, from bathing in hot springs to trying a traditional meal cooked underground.
This Azores accessible whale watching holiday allows you to travel in confidence, and to see some marvellous wildlife displays in comfort. If you have any other questions about activities, accommodation facilities or getting to and around Sao Miguel, we’re happy to advise.
Map
Price information
£995To£1195 excluding flights
Convert currency:
Price range is based on accessible 3* or 5* hotel and includes 7 nights bed and breakfast, 3 half day dolphin and whale watching tours and airport transfers.
This holiday can start on any day of the week to fit in with flights.
Departure information
This trip can be tailor made between April - October
Travel guides
With whales in every corner of the ocean, and so many species, how do you begin to plan a trip?
Our guide reveals the best ways to encounter these charismatic mammals in the wild.
Accessibility
ACCESSIBLE TOURISM OVERVIEW
This holiday is suitable for wheelchair users and others with reduced mobility who are able to weight bear for a short period of time to step onto a boat and into a van.
WHEELCHAIR
The accommodation is accessible and lightweight, folding wheelchairs can be accommodated. The transfer vehicle will have enough room to store this or a walking frame. Please advise at the time of booking so we can make sure the correct vehicle is available. You will need to be able to weight bear to step into the transport (both van and boat). The guides will support carrying the frame or wheelchair on the vehicle. We are unable to accommodate electric wheelchairs.
BLIND OR LIMITED VISION
We recommend being accompanied on this holiday as the city of Ponta Delgada has many uneven paths and pavements. You will be able to listen to the onboard commentary from the expert marine biologists during the sea trips. As the dolphins swim so close to the boat, you may be able to see them and certainly will feel with buzz that goes around the boat when there are dolphins nearby.
DEAF OR LIMITED HEARING
The majority of hotels on the island do not have hearing aid loop system so you may find this a challenge unless you are travelling with someone who can be your ears. Your experience on board for the dolphin and whale watching trips will be reduced slightly as you may not be able to hear the onboard commentary from the expert marine biologists. However, you will be able to see the dolphins swim close to the boat and feel the buzz of excitement.
COGNITIVE CONDITIONS
This trip is suitable for you although the boats are busy during middle and high season, which may affect your experience. It is worth bearing in mind that all the trips we offer are a minimum of 3 hours. The sea trips are both calming and exciting! We recommend being accompanied on the holiday.
FREE FROM FOOD
We can cater for all dietary requirements
LGBT
Everyone is welcome
Reviews
3 Reviews of Azores accessible whale watching holiday
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed on 31 May 2025 by Patricia Williams
Loved it! Was everything we hoped for and more. Seeing the whales and dolphins was wonderful. A lifetime ambition realised! We booked an accessible holiday as our son had a stroke four years ago and he had mobility issues. I’d say don’t worry about it and don’t hesitate to ask for help - everyone we met on tours, in our hotel and in cafes and bars were kind, helpful and supportive. The crew on the boats are used to helping less mobile people and are only too happy to offer their support with boarding, stairs on board or anything really! Read full reviewReviewed on 15 May 2025 by Sue Edwards
Five stars plus. A truly amazing holiday, friendly people, very clean, lovely scenery and GREAT whale watching. The hotel was superb and all staff very helpful. We wish we had discovered the Azores earlier and hope it does not get to commercialised. We will be back! Read full reviewReviewed on 07 May 2025 by Paul Mahoney
We would highly recommend this company. In our view, they went above and beyond to meet our needs & we will be eternally grateful to them....As a wheelchair user I had a few concerns over going on a boat but Gaynor let me know all would be fine - and it was. Read full reviewResponsible Travel
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we've screened this (and every) holiday so that you can travel knowing we've worked to maximise the benefits of your holiday to local people and places, and minimise any negative impacts.
Planet
The way the boats approach the whales follow local regulations to protect the marine life. We only use licensed boat operators who are very sensitive to the well-being of the dolphins and whales.There is a good spirit of cooperation amongst the boat companies and agreements to respect the animals as a priorityResearch is ongoing on the boats, so these trips are helping to build our knowledge of these fantastic animals. Many of the skippers are professional photographers and maintain a comprehensive photo ID database, in particular sperm whales, bottlenose dolphins and pilot whales. The more we can learn about the whales and dolphins of the Azores, the better we can understand things like their migration and social structures. All this moves us closer to protecting them and the marine environment in a more knowledgeable, effective way.
Guests are encouraged to send in any photos they have taken on the whale watching trips that can be used in the ongoing photo identification projects. Every trip has a huge emphasis on conservation and sustaining the marine environment so future generations may also have the privilege of seeing marine mammals in the wild.
People
We only work with local suppliers who employ at least 80% local people which means financial benefits to families here. The land based lookouts whose immense sill at tracking the animals previously earned money from whaling now earn from tourists - an enormous change that we are passionate about supporting. Many of their adult children now skipper the whale watching boats and work within the small scale tourism.Our whale watching company offers presentations in local schools to educate the children about the marine life on their doorstep with an emphasis on conservation, They are also planning to host an Azorean Whale Festival to promote the islands as one of the key locations worldwide to see whales. We donate a percentage of it's profits to the World Cetacean Alliance (WCA), helping to protect whales and dolphins worldwide.
All the activities we recommend locally are run by Azoreans and are designed to maintain good relationships between visitors and the local people. For example, we sell and promote only local crafts to our guests to support local craft makers and artisans and to spread tourism income to many islanders. Our favourite restaurants are all run by Azorean people and we do recommend that our visitors try the delicious local cuisine while supporting sustainable local fishermen in particular.
As well as whale watching, we offer geological and cultural tours hosted solely by experienced local guides with an in-depth knowledge of their island and its landscape.
We support the local vineyards where guests can sample the fantastic Azorean wine and take these locally produced gifts back to people at home.
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