Amazing Azores

It was the mass of whirling seabirds in the distance which gave us the clue and soon our zodiac-type boat was zooming out to sea in the direction of all the activity. It was a bumpy ride - more like riding a bucking rodeo beast really (not that I've ever tried that!) - but, having set out with the warning that the lookouts hadn't seen much and we might be unlucky, it was exciting to be aiming for a specific spot.

In the old days, of course, the whalers used the presence of large numbers of birds to track down their quarry and this is exactly what we were doing as well. As we drew near we could see from the water that there was a massive shoal of fish providing meals for over a thousand Cory's Shearwaters (with a few Great Shearwaters in there as well). But it wasn't just the birds. We were soon surrounded by Atlantic Spotted Dolphins, jumping and spinning and feeding - it seemed like there were over a hundred if not more - and then we saw the blow. This was the first of three Fin Whales which were joining in the feast. All this set against the most glorious coastal scenery with an extraordinary silvery light.

This was our second whale watch of the holiday - the first had produced Sperm and Pilot Whales as well as Risso's Dolphins - and we had been incredibly lucky. Mind you, in The Azores they reckon there's a 90% chance of seeing whales, and the old look-out posts are put to good use as the boats keep in touch by radio and are guided from the shore to where the blows have been seen.

But it's not just the whales which make the Azores such an attractive destination. These islands, although catching up with "the real world" still have a touch of the "yester-year" about them. Because of their historic feudal system, the fields have been divided and sub-divided again and again to share amongst the families and the result is a patchwork landscape, often with the fields divided not by fences or walls but by hydrangeas! The nine islands boast two World Heritage Sites - the city of Angra do Herosimo on Terceira and the Verdehlo vineyards on Pico. They have wonderful cheeses and wines, friendly people and superb scenery which can be appreciated at a gentle pace during our pleasant and easy walks.

We're already planning to visit some of the islands not included in the current itinerary in 2009, but for 2008 the holiday will again feature São Miguel, Pico and Faial with just a few hours on Terceira to whet the appetite for a return to these magical islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

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