For this trip, you will fly into and out of Ponta Delgada (PDL) on São Miguel.

If you are coming from the UK, you will go via Lisbon on the mainland. There are more direct flights between São Miguel and the US and Canada, with regular flight connections with New York, Boston and Toronto.

This trip runs from mid-October through March.

At this time of the year, São Miguel is noticeably quieter and calmer. Ponta Delgada has a more 'local' feel, with fewer tourists and more Azoreans in the streets on weekdays, especially when schools and the university are open. It is a great time for waterfalls and there are rainbows everywhere... It is a place to come and explore, out and about in your boots, whilst enjoying the indulgently cosy trappings of thermal hot springs, fireside conversation and cosy evening dinners.

Weather: Temperatures are pleasingly mild, hovering around 13-18°c (55-65°f). This is when rainfall and cloud cover are usually at their highest, the days are shortest and the wind can pick up. But none of that is particularly extreme and whilst this is the rainiest time of the year, often this comes in the form of short, sharp showers rather than entire days lost to rain. So, whilst you need a relaxed and flexible approach to planning, you would be very unlucky if it had a truly adverse impact on the enjoyment of your trip. Winter is noticeably less humid than the summer, so that is an absolute plus.

Swimming: The sea temperatures are equally mild and so it is possible to swim, however more frequently the seas are a bit too rough for that to be safe or enjoyable except for in protected bays. Much more common is to enjoy the hot springs the island specialises in, be it the more formal pools in Furnas and near Ribeira Grande, or the thermally-vented sea pools on the northwest coast at low tide. It is absolutely the best time of the year for thermal pools.

Walking: Happily, the weather is less humid than in the summer months and therefore can make for more comfortable hiking conditions. We can't guarantee it won't rain at all, but you'll take a rain jacket and waterproof boots won't you? Trails are much quieter at this time of the year and if it does rain then head for waterfalls the next day because São Miguel has lots of them and more rain = more water = more impressive waterfalls.

Whales: There are fewer whales in the water at this time because most species migrate and are only in the archipelago during spring and summer. However, sperm whales tend to be here all year round, as do three types of dolphins. It would be unusual to go out and not see anything.

Flowers: Azorean flowers are much like our flowers in that they tend to do their blooming in spring and summer. The famous hydrangeas, which are everywhere, follow this trend however in more humid areas they can hang on into January. Because things never get particularly cold here, the forests have a higher proportion of evergreen trees. However in late October and early November you do get areas of fall color. It's not New England in fall, but it is rather nice when you come across it.

Our Azores itineraries generally include a mix of hiking, cycling and car-based discovery. They are intended to suit most fairly active travellers, so there's nothing big or scary lurking within.

The cycling at Sete Cidades is usually done by eBike. The trails are pretty flat and along compacted dirt. It is considered 'easy', especially with a boost from the battery. Even if eBikes are not available, you should have no issue doing it the old-fashioned way on mountain bikes. If you do want to up the ante, it is possible to hike out of the village to the crater rim and back again, so please ask if that's of interest.

Hiking is a big thing in the Azores and, in partnership with our old friends at the EU, they have done an incredible job creating dozens of official trails across the archipelago. These are divided into easy, medium and challenging, with a great majority coming out in the middle. As part of our service to you, we provide GPS routes for each official hiking route on the island, allowing you to match the hike to your interests and energy levels.

We tend to only include one or two meals in your trip, simply because choosing where to eat each night is one of the great pleasures of traveling in the Azores. During your travels, you will either be within walking distance of very good restaurants, have the option of eating in at your hotel or, most commonly, you will be within a short drive/taxi ride of some very good options. Note that the best restaurants are sometimes in rural settings, rather than always being in the towns.

We include details of our favorite restaurants on each island, including some we think you really can't miss out on.

Simply put, driving is the best way to get around the Azores. It brings you the freedom to explore as you wish, heading down the road for dinner or pushing on to see one last viewpoint without the fuss and bother of taxis. There is an absolute pleasure in pottering about on the islands, particularly the smaller ones, with a windscreen full of landscapes and cows hanging around on the roundabout or spilling out into the road. It is part of the adventure.

Roads are nearly all paved. Those that are not are in the more remote parts of the island and we will always flag this if it's somewhere we think you might like to explore. Traffic is light as a feather, except for when the cows are on the move! Because distances are short - you will rarely drive for an hour or more in one go, you can very easily spend three or four days driving to the ends of an island and then refill your tank for less than €30.

For two people traveling to the Azores you can expect a medium-sized vehicle such as a Dacia Sandero. We can’t guarantee specific make or model. Where it is a realistic option, we will always try to provide a hybrid vehicle. Automatics are available on request.

Sat Navs are not included but can sometimes be requested (and paid for) locally. We find that Google Maps and Waze are far easier and more reliable to use. You will be given instructions on how to download them on your smartphone and use them without needing data.

As part of our vacation service to you, we provide a travel app which is packed with an extensive planning document to help you prepare and pack for the Azores, as well as our favorite self-guided walks, sightseeing options and places to eat. This helps take the stress out of planning your time, knowing that we've been there, done that and eaten the bolos lêvedos. Think of it as your bible as you travel around, a friend always there to send you off in the right direction and smooth the way for you.

If you get into any bother, which you'd be hard-pressed to do in the Azores, then our team is always on hand to help. In the first instance that is your hosts and guides, our extended Pura Aventura family in Portugal. But you have a 24/7 emergency contact for our team here should you ever need it.

Not at all, no. Your hosts and guides all speak good English and you'll have little problem communicating with the locals as you travel around. The Azores has a sizeable number of people who were either born on the islands but grew up in the US or Canada, or whose parents left the Azores in the second half of the 20th century and they have subsequently moved back to the 'motherland'. So don't be surprised if you encounter a few North American accents as you go.

A good idea is to download the Portuguese language pack on Google Translate before you go. That allows you to point your phone at menus and signs and get an English translation if you get really stuck.

Absolutely. This is something we delight and take pride in, if nothing else because we know how important the local people are to making your trip special. Having a guided intro tour on each of the smaller islands, and a welcome meeting is absolutely key in helping you get to know the people of the island and the ways of life here. Guides are able to broker conversations with the people you meet, but even without them, it is never hard to strike up conversation with the islanders. Even those who seem at first a bit reserved and aloof will soon warm up. It's one of the great pleasures of travel anywhere, but particularly on the island communities of the Azores.

Being of volcanic origin, the islands are not blessed with a plethora of dreamy white-sand beaches or huge sweeps of idyllic sand. They do exist here or there and you absolutely should take time to enjoy these, particularly on São Miguel and Faial. You also have to be a little cautious with the sea floor, which can fall away quickly and with the strength of the waves, which can be whipped up even in summer.

So whilst swimming off of beaches is possible, more common is to swim or bathe in the countless salt pools dotted around the shores of each island. These range from man-made pools which jut into the sea to capture the saltwater and usually have full facilities, to the nature-made lava rock pools which form naturally protected areas of seawater to swim in.

You'll also see that São Miguel does a particularly good line in thermal pools heated by volcanic gases. Again these range from the lava rock pool on the northwest coast to the more formal pools in Furnas and outside Ribeira Grande.

So in summary, bring your swimming stuff.

Absolutely you can, yes. The simplest way to do this is to fly in or out via Lisbon or Porto. To that end, TAP usually offer a free stopover of up to 10 nights when flying to/from Ponta Delgada. That's enough time to enjoy either a 2/3-night city break or even a full walking trip in the countryside. Please just ask for ideas.

Yes, we're very happy to tailor this trip by tweaking the number of nights for example. As mentioned, we can also combine the Azores with mainland Portugal.