azores atv tours

Azores OutDoor Activities

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Quad Bike Tour – Sete Cidades (Half Day) – 2 People / 1 ATV

Sete Cidades

• No of Days: 3 / 4 hours

Quad Bike Tour – Sete Cidades (Half Day) – 1 Person / 1 ATV

Buggy Tour – Sete Cidades (Half Day)

Quad Bike Tour – Sete Cidades (Full Day) – 2 People / 1 ATV

• No of Days: 7 / 8 horas

Quad Bike Tour – Sete Cidades – Full Day with lunch (1 Person / 1 ATV)

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• Trip Refund Guarantee - In the unlikely event that we need to cancel your trip, you’ll be guaranteed a refund within 15 days*; 
• Full Flexibility - Full flexibility of the land arrangements portion of your trip, allowing you to change your plans for any reason, up to 14 days prior to departure.

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Purchase our Allianz travel insurance and get reimbursed up to 100% for covered trip cancellation and interruption, including covered illness or injury of you, a family member, or travel companion.

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*For more information please read our Flexibility Policy

ATV Tours: Sete Cidades - Full Day

Date and Participants

• Adults (13+) 1 Children (7-12) 0 Child 1 Age 8 Child 2 Age 8 Child 3 Age 8

Choose your schedule

About the experience.

* The customer drives his/her/their own vehicle and the guide will accompany him/her/they in a separate vehicle. The customer will have to bring his/her/their driving license (must have had it for more than 1 year) and a credit card & will have to sign a liability waiver at the activities center. You should bring comfortable clothes and shoes, water and some snack if you consider it necessary.

Touring around the volcano crater of  Sete Cidades , with stunning views of the lakes and the sea, runs on off roads that give moments of great emotion and adrenaline. 

Points of interest:  Lagoa das Empadadas, Vista do Rei, Sete Cidades, Miradouro do Escalvado

What to expect: [09h00] Briefing on our premises on standards of conduct and of how to safely operate the UTV’s. [09h30] Clients test-run the UTV’s. [10h00] Start of the guided tour. [10h30] Visit to Lagoa das Empadadas. [10:45] Miradouro Lagoa do Canário e Lagoa do Canário. [11h00] Start of trail along the Northern Ridge of the Sete Cidades crater. [11h45] Village of Sete Cidades. [12h00] Visit to the tunnel (Lagoa Azul). [12h30] Lunch at a local restaurant. [13h30] Visit to Lagoa Azul (peninsula). [14h00] Visit to Lagoa Verde. [14h30] Visit to Lagoa de Santiago. [15h00] Vista do Rei (belvedere). [15h40] Visit to the Escalvado belvedere (Várzea). [16h30] Return to Ponta Delgada along the regional road. Road Conditions: Roads of dirt/gravel: 50% Roads of asphalt: 50% What’s included : Guide, lunch, gasoline, insurance, helmets and raincoat (if needed).

Pickup is only included in hotels located in Ponta Delgada.

The date of the tour can be changed depending on weather conditions, at no cost to the customer. 

The minimum number of people to start a tour: 2 people.

Minimum age: 7 years old.

Terms and Conditions

Refunds only up to 3 days prior to activity.

- All customers wishing to drive the vehicles need to present their driving licence valid in portugal; - Before every tour, a liability statement is signed by all  drivers. -It is required a safety deposit of 500.00 euros per vehicle in credit card (we will cancel the deposit until 72hours after). Vehicles have a third part insurance, the client is responsible for all damages.

Activity provider policies

Changes to the reservation.

• The company has the right to modify or cancel your reservation, whenever there are adverse weather conditions.
• The company has the right to modify or cancel your reservation, whenever the minimum number of participants is not met.
• The company will have access to the contact information of the hotel where the client is accommodated, whenever this information is available (to facilitate the contact).
• The company may contact the client up to 1 day before in order to communicate any eventual alterations.
• In case it wasn't possible to contact the client, the alterations will be communicate when the client reaches the company's headquarters.

General conditions

• The driver must have a B category drivers' license.
• The driver must provide the address and telephone number of his/her hotel/residence in São Miguel.
• No deposit or warranty necessary, since the ride is accompanied by a company guide.
• Insurance: personal accidents insurance for the driver and mandatory civil insurance for the ATV (the client is responsible for everything that happens to the motorcycle, and even if he hurts himself, the responsibility is entirely the customer's; the mandatory civil insurance only applies in the cases where the accident is caused by a third party, and the customer is not to blame);

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Azores Archipelago Tours & Trips

Find the right tour package for you through Azores Archipelago. We've got 37 trips going to Azores Archipelago, starting from just 3 days in length, and the longest tour is 15 days. The most popular month to go is September, which has the most tour departures.

37 Azores Archipelago tour packages with 915 reviews

• Hiking & Trekking

Hiking the Azores

I had a great time hiking everyday in the Azores. There was a great mix of people from N. America and Europe and everyone was super nice. I am already looking at other G Adventure trips to go on next. Make sure to read the full itinerary and be ready to hike and enjoy an adventure!

• In-depth Cultural
• Christmas & New Year

Best of the Azores: 7 days in São Miguel

Our guides Phillip and John (Juan) were both fantastic.

Highlights of the Azores

A very beautiful place with wonderful landscapes, thermal baths, cheese and wine. Our guide Sasha was lovely and very informative as well as delightful to talk too. I enjoyed all the activities but do ensure you were good shoes for the home. recommend that a visit to the cheese factory is added the morning you arrive on Sao Jorge.

• Walking Adventure

Walking in the Azores

PREAMBLE This was the first Explore tour we have taken so I don’t know whether my experience was typical of their tours. Overall it was satisfactory and I enjoyed the tour. I do not regret booking this holiday but there are clearly some improvements that could be made. TOUR LEADER It hurts me to say it but Tania, the tour leader, was not up to the job. She tried hard and as a hiking guide she was very good, keeping the group together and encouraging those who were having difficulty. She was energetic and enthusiastic but as an organizer and communicator she was hopeless. She would announce a plan and you could almost guarantee that the plan would change, often several times. In addition, she did not make sure that everyone heard these announcements so different members of the group were working off different versions of the plan. Another problem was that she would say things that later turned out to be untrue. For example, she discouraged us from visiting the lava tunnels on Terceira because she said that the ones on Pico were free to visit. This was not true. Because of this tendency to make stuff up, it was hard to trust anything she said. The wisdom of treating her statements with caution was proved several times. I don’t know what instructions Tania was given about optional hikes but the notion of “options” means, to me, that each person can choose between the various options irrespective of what others in the group might prefer. This was not the way that it worked. She was very insistent that everyone did the same thing. So, on the 3rd Sao Jorge day, there were two hikes offered (one of which was different from those in the itinerary provided by Explore) but she insisted that everyone did the same hike, or no hike at all. Now obviously she cannot be in two places at once, but there is no reason that she has to accompany everyone. We were all experienced walkers who have done dozens of hikes without a guide. The trails in Azores are well marked and there was no reason at all that one group could travel without Tania. I will return to this issue in the section below headed ‘Hikes’. As I informed Explore, shortly before the tour I underwent surgery that meant that I was unable to carry my suitcase. I also told Tania so that she would understand why my wife was doing the heavy lifting. We would not expect Tania or any of the other customers to assist us. However, I would have thought that, where there was the option of putting us on the ground floor of hotels without a lift, she would have done so. There were two hotels without a lift, in Praia da Vitoria and in Horta. In both cases there were rooms on the ground floor that some members of our group occupied. In both cases we were put on an upper floor meaning that my wife had to struggle with our bags on the stairs. Tania had no regard for making it easier for us, which was quite disappointing. Although Tania gives the impression that she has been leading this tour for several years, I note from another review that, in May 2019, the leader was “Mandy” who received excellent reviews. Maybe Tania is new to the Explore tour and is still trying to get on top of the details. This is the most charitable interpretation that I can place on her confusing instructions. Perhaps Tania should be replaced with Mandy, if she is still available, until Tania is properly trained. ACCOMMODATION The hotels were generally good; not first class but usually perfectly adequate. The exception was the hotel on Sao Miguel where we stayed for four nights. I thought the accommodation was substandard. In addition, it was not well situated, well away from the main tourism centre. The joining hotel sets a level of expectation and it should not be the worst place on the tour. Explore really needs to find somewhere better; there is no shortage of accommodation in Ponta Delgada. I did have a minor gripe with the Hotel Caravelas in Madalena. Some of our group (and Tania) had a complimentary basket of fruit in their room while others (including us) didn’t. If we were all paying the same then we should be treated equally. I pointed this out to Tania (who treated it as a joke) and to reception, but no fruit was provided. TRANSPORT The land transport provided was fine. It was a bit of a mixed bag, but nothing was inadequate. Generally, distances and travel times are short in The Azores so some occasional minor discomfort was easily tolerable. My main complaint concerns two of the transfers. Going from Terceira to Sao Jorge we were on a 4 pm flight. Because we needed to check out from the hotel at around 1 pm, there was really nothing useful we could do in the morning except see the very limited attractions in Praia da Vitoria. By the time we got to the hotel on Sao Jorge it was too late to do anything there so effectively the whole day was wasted. This would be acceptable if there had been no alternative. But there was a 10:30 am flight and if we had been on that we would have had an entire afternoon to explore Velas. To make a badly planned situation worse, the 4 pm flight didn’t take off until nearly 5:30 pm. The opposite problem occurred with the ferry transfer from Pico to Faial. We were made to get up early and have a rushed breakfast in order to catch the 8:15 am ferry. We arrived at the hotel in Horta before 9 am and were told to go away for 6 hours because our rooms would not be ready until 3 pm. There were ferries at 10 am and at 11:30 am which we could have taken. Either would have allowed plenty of time to explore Horta, relax in the hotel, or both. Note that in the itinerary provided by Explore we were supposed to transfer to Faial in the afternoon. Tania gave no explanation for the silly change in plan. HIKES There is a fundamental problem with the hikes that needs some thought. The information provided on the Explore website about the four included hikes suggests that the pace would be fairly easy and within the capabilities of relatively slow walkers such as me and my wife. We were not the only slow ones. At the same time, some of our group were very fast, no doubt attracted to the tour by the longer and more difficult optional hikes. So, the fast ones were constantly having to stop, which is unfair to them. Meanwhile, the slow ones were going as fast as they could. Tania was caught in the middle with no way of keeping everyone happy. The only solution I can suggest is to split the group. Maybe Explore need to have an extra hiking guide although, as mentioned above, the trails are well marked and most people would be able to follow a trail without a guide.

• 10% deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Best of São Miguel Island

Overall the tour was good. The response coordinating the trip was great. They did change 1 item on the itinerary but it was no problem. I didn't like the location of the hotel. There was nothing close by (shops, restaurants, etc.). This also wasn't a tour where you were with the same group of people. It was more solo where you met different people on different days and no one stayed in the same location so very little group bonding. It was nice on the days I had the rental car so I was able to get out to stores, restaurants and sights. The last day there was a dinner but it was so far from the location of the hotel, I didn't even bother going. Note: the canyoning was well worth it!

São Miguel Active Experience

Great tour package! Miguel was knowledgeable with the history of all the places and so good at navigating all the roads. The chosen hotel was conveniently close to everything in the city. What an unforgettable experience!

Best of Porto & Azores in 9 days

Second time in Portugal and we decided to go on this trip as we´ve been in Algarve and Lisbon before. While Porto and Ponta Delgada were busy we felt lucky to repeat Portugal as we would be missing out tremendously. Hotels again really well located, clean and comfortable. We loved Douro, the guide was so knowledgeable and concerned on how we were feeling. Getting into and out of the flights was fast so not much time lost on airport time. Sao Miguel island was a highlight of our last decade travel for sure and I recommend everyone to take the trip.

Short Break in Azores, Terceira Island, Self-drive

Highlights of Spain and Portugal with Azores

Portugal in Depth with Azores

Azores Escape

São Miguel Soft Hiking

I had great time. The hotel was really good and very close to the center and the tour company Futurismo. Futurismo were nice and professional. The tours were well planned and the guides are super professional as well.

Atlantic Azores

• €100 deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

The Dream of the Blue Whale

What people love about azores archipelago tours.

The hikes and info were great, even though some last minute changes were necessary due to trail closures. We had a fun, varied group of 13 and the logistics all worked well. The only disappointment was Hotel Zenite on Terceira Island - it was an aging hotel with poor service and should be replaced with a different hotel in the same area.

We had a fantastic time. Exploring the island through jeep tour and kayaking was exhilarating. The whale watching and local food experiences were delightful, and the guides were truly local and knowledgeable. This tour was an unforgettable journey, would take it again, thank yuou.

Azores Archipelago Tours starting in:

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Other Regions in Portugal

• Northern Portugal (66)
• Madeira (42)
• Algarve (34)
• Central Portugal (25)
• Alentejo (9)

Travel Styles

• Singles and Solo (32)
• For Couples (17)
• Seniors (13)

Quad Azores Tours

• businessperson
• Portuguese • Spanish • English
• Professional tour guide

Sete Cidades : ATV Quad Tour : Half Day

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Quad Azores Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

How to island-hop around the Azores

Apr 24, 2024 • 5 min read

You'll need to hire a car (or organise a taxi for the day) to watch the sunset over Sete Cidades on São Miguel Island © Maya Karkalicheva / Getty Images

The Azoreans travel frequently between islands all year, so the archipelago has a reasonable network of inter-island flights and ferry routes, making it easy to navigate all nine islands. Weather is the only thing that might cause a sudden change of plans, but as locals put it, that's just a part of the Azorean experience.

On the islands of the Azores , buses are not the most reliable option, so renting a car or hiring a taxi is often the better alternative – except in Corvo where the island is so small you can walk everywhere.

Explore the Azores on your own time by driving

Renting a car is the most practical way to travel around the Azores at your own pace – signs for major sights are clear, the traffic is often low and most of the main roads are well-maintained.

However, during peak season, especially in smaller islands with fewer resources, a scarcity of cars sees an increase in prices, and parking spaces can be hard to find near restaurants, top attractions, and beaches. 

Some rural roads are so narrow they appear to be one-lane when, in fact, they're two-way streets – unless a traffic sign states otherwise, always expect cars coming in the opposite direction. And it’s not a myth that most of the countryside traffic jams are caused by farmers leading herds of cows between grasslands. Get as close to the side of the road as possible, turn off your engine, and wait it out.

Want to explore the Azores without hiring a car? Find out how to do it .

Non-drivers can hire a taxi to visit must-see attractions

For non-drivers, or if you couldn’t rent a car due to peak season scarcity, hiring a taxi to cover the highlights is a practical way of getting around in the Azores. Taxis aren’t metered, so they’ll either charge a fixed fee based on the area or destinations you want to cover, or charge you by the hour (plan for around €20 per hour). 

Taxi drivers often speak English, although sometimes only well enough for basic communication. Those who are a little more fluent will be happy to answer your questions about the island and the sights to the best of their knowledge. Also expect no-strings-attached local tips on where to eat and must-sees, especially on the smaller islands. 

 Finding a cab that offers round-the-island tours or sightseeing trips is as easy as asking the person driving the taxi from the airport to the hotel – it's typically a service they offer, and if they don't, they'll know someone who does. 

Negotiation is usually between you and the driver, but prices generally don’t vary much between taxi companies. Prices are usually quoted as a fixed fees per trip, rather than per passenger, but always check before agreeing to a rate.

Island-hop comfortably by flying

Government-owned SATA Air Açores is the only airline operating all inter-island flights and locals use it pretty much like a bus system, travelling between islands for shopping, doctor's appointments, and business trips. That said, not all routes are convenient, and for neighbouring islands, it's usually easier to take the ferry.

Keep in mind, especially when travelling with small children, that flying between islands is sometimes an exercise in patience. Some flights will make one or two stops before you reach your final destination, which means disembarking for every layover even if it’s no longer than 15 or 20 minutes – this is very common when flying from São Miguel to smaller islands in the Central and West groups.

Some planes are small, with limited space in the overhead compartment and under the front seat. Most passengers only discover which plane they're boarding at the gate or on the tarmac. If the flight is full, you can ask the crew if they can accommodate your luggage in the cargo hold.

See more islands for the price of one by taking the ferry

One ferry ride between close islands can take up to 60 minutes – making it faster, cheaper, and more convenient than a flight. Islanders use it frequently, especially between Faial and Pico, to commute to work. Purchase tickets online, at the Atlântico Line website, or before your trip at the boat station.

The routes with the most frequent trips are the Blue Line, which connects Pico and Faial (a 30-minute ride) and the Green Line, which goes all the way to São Jorge (close to a one-hour ride). The Pink Line connects Flores and Corvo twice a day (40-minute trip), from two times a week in the winter to six days a week in the peak season.

From June to September, the ferry company increases the trips' frequency with three seasonal routes operating two to three days a week. The Orange Line connects Pico and São Jorge at least twice a day, travellers on the White Line can visit all five islands in the Central Group (twice a week), and the Purple Line connects Terceira to São Jorge, Pico, and Faial two times a week. 

A local’s tip for riding the ferry

Take it from a local with motion sickness, ferry trips between the “triangle islands” (Faial, Pico, and São Jorge) are a breeze in the summer and a little rougher in the winter but not impossible to make it with the help of preventive motion sickness medication. Ferries are big and stable, and the weather is usually good enough for passengers to sit outside on the top tier. Between Flores and Corvo, though, frequent choppy waters and a small boat can make trips a bit more uncomfortable. 

The Azores transportation FAQs and things to consider 

Is uber in the azores .

A few years ago, there was a short-lived attempt at implementing ride-share services on the larger island of São Miguel, but it never truly took off. For the time being, Uber is not available in the Azores.

Is the public transport in the Azores reliable?

Each island (except Corvo) has its own public bus system, but schedules and frequency are not the most reliable for travellers. Typically, there's one bus in the morning and another at the end of the day, mainly serving schools and workplaces. São Miguel is the island with the best options to travel by bus to top sites, but it takes some planning and flexibility.  

Accessible travel in the Azores

Unfortunately, regarding accessibility, the Azores have not quite hit the mark yet. For now, only Azores For All, a São Miguel-based private tour operator, has transportation options for travellers living with a disability.  

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