Sao Miguel tour in the Azores

The Azores as a destination boasts a wide diversity of opportunities for environmentally friendly leisure and recreation and received the highest sustainability score on the Global Sustainable Tourism Review conducted by Green Destinations, an international sustainability support system used to measure, monitor and improve the sustainability profile of destinations and regions. It recently implemented an innovative governance system of Protected Areas aiming to improve the management of nature and conservation and ensures the ecological structure and connectivity of the archipelago. The archipelago enjoys sustainable practices ranging from a rich and protected marine life, protected nature areas with well regulated hiking trails to an “eco-school” and the renewable energy use on the island. Water management has been improved by the Regional Plan for Water (PRAA), which aims to encourage a rational use of water.

Aware of the geotourism potential of the archipelago and aiming to conserve the Azorean volcanic landscapes, the regional and local authorities adopted a geotourism strategy which included the creation and implementation of a Geopark. With 121 geosites spread over the nine islands and surrounding seafloor, the Azores Geopark has recently been included in the European Geopark Network (EGN), achieving international recognition. The development of geotourism in the Azores has contributed to sustainable tourism, promoting the local economy and minimizing the sociocultural and environmental impacts of tourism.

Our local agents encourage those that work with them and their visitors to embrace responsible tourism in the Azores, making environmentally friendly, sustainable, ethical and respectful choices when traveling.

They are committed to preserving the regions unique environment and a portion of their profits goes towards various conservation projects in Sao Miguel such as Life Priolo. The Priolo (or Azores Bullfinch) is a bird species endemic to Sao Miguel island, specifically to the mountain area of Serra da Tronqueira in the east of the island. Numbers are estimated to be in the region of 775 birds and it is the most threatened passerine bird in Europe and listed as critically endangered.

In our local agents office, in Ponta Delgada, they recycle as much as possible including paper, cardboard, printer toner cartridges and excess vacation brochures. All the hotels featured on the tour subscribe to the now international standard request to guests to re-use towels and bedding, turn off lights and air-conditioning units on leaving rooms and avoid littering in their local environment. As the tour is a group tour this helps reduce vehicle emissions when compared to private trips or fly-drives.