Hotel Talisman, Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel

Advantages: Relaxing, stunning scenery and still unspoiled!
Disadvantages: Cuisine lacking in fancy menus.

...Sâo Miguel also known as the Green Island is 65 kilometres long and 16 kilometres wide. It is the largest of the islands making up the Azores. The island is made up of several volcanic groups, the black lava fields form a dark coastline dotted with a handful of beaches, but the green hills provide some splendid scenery, and every turn (and there are many!) along the windy roads unfolds some wonderful surprises. In the east the highest point is Pico da Vara standing 1,103 metres tall, in the centre is the Sierra de Água do Pau, with a volcanic Lake called Lagoa do Fogo. In the west are the smaller volcanoes, and the highest point is about 900metres, one of the most popular places to visit called the Caldeira das Sete Cidades, where the ground still rumbles and geysers boil and streams flow with the water of hot springs. There are two... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Beautiful setting
Disadvantages: Buffet dinner could be better

...Stepping off the plane at 21.00 hours in Ponta Delgada, on Sao Miguel in the Azores the humidity hit me. WOW. It was hot, I was tired and hadn't expected this level of humidity. Thankfully we quickly collected our cases and didn't have any passport control to queue in, as we had flown in from Lisbon. Our tour operator was waiting as we came into the arrival hall and whisked off to our destination. Twenty minutes and many bends and bumps later we turned a corner and saw a large hotel block, lit up and sparkling against the dark sky, standing beside the Atlantic ocean, with a high tree covered backdrop or should I say side drop! The long driveway through the gardens with lovely trees and flowers prepared us for the serene and calm entrance to this otherwise pink concrete block. There was a plaque saying when the hotel was opened... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Perfect if you like to walk.
Disadvantages: If you're looking for night life, it will be difficult to find...

...Whether you're a natural walker or a relaxed rambler, Pico is perfect for walking. The island, part of the Azores (which belong to Portugal), has 148 volcanic craters, from gentle slopes to arduous scrambles. The dad is Mount Pico itself; at 2,351 metres, it's Portugal's highest mountain, and it will take you around six hours to climb its steep, crumbly lava slopes. At the top you're rewarded with views of all the islands. It would be impossible to tire of this extraordinary landscape, but one of the biggest attractions on Pico is located underground at Gruta das Torres, a deep 5km-long lava tube, created more than 1,000 years ago. It takes a brave soul - and sturdy boots - to venture into its darkness. A flight to Sao Miguel can be arranged for just under £200 and there're ferry links to Pico from Sao Miguel.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful