Full-Day Whales & The Princess Ring Islet (incl. Lunch)
4.5
Full-Day Whales & The Princess Ring Islet (incl. Lunch)
By Azores Whale Watching TERRA AZUL
About
from per adult
$130.26
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 15-99, max of 28 per group
Duration: 8h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Features animals
Live guide: German, Portuguese, English, Italian, French, Dutch, Spanish
More
- Guided Marine Wildlife Tour
- Lunch with local food, inclusive of entree, main, complimentary drinks and dessert
- Admission to natural reserve Islet of Vila Franca do Campo
- Snorkeling Mask and Tube
- Insurance
What's not included- Hotel Pickup and Drop-off
- Personal Water supply
- Personal Swimwear
- Departure details
- Azores Whale Watching TERRA AZUL, Marina de, 4, 9680-187 Islands, Portugal From Ponta Delgada city center by auto, head East along the coast and follow directions to Vila Franca do Campo. Once in Vila Franca do Campo, descend towards sea level and the Marina where our Base and Yellow Boats are stationed, and Free Parking can be found.
Return details- Returns to original departure point
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 58075P6- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT it is not possible to control animals' behavior in the wild, or to guarantee that you will see a specific species at a specific time frame.
- English is the official language, but our team is multinational and will do their best to accommodate your preferred language (this is not guaranteed).
- At the Islet, all individuals are responsible to comply with the natural reserve’s rules.
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- No Children under the age of 4
- Special Dietary Restrictions must be notified upon reservation for required adjustments
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 28 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- Which attractions will I visit with Full-Day Whales & The Princess Ring Islet (incl. Lunch)?
- During this experience, places you will visit include:Discover and book Full-Day Whales & The Princess Ring Islet (incl. Lunch) on Tripadvisor
- How much is Full-Day Whales & The Princess Ring Islet (incl. Lunch)?
- Full-Day Whales & The Princess Ring Islet (incl. Lunch) price starts from $130.65. Discover and book Full-Day Whales & The Princess Ring Islet (incl. Lunch) on Tripadvisor
- What is the Full-Day Whales & The Princess Ring Islet (incl. Lunch) cancellation policy?
- Full-Day Whales & The Princess Ring Islet (incl. Lunch) cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book Full-Day Whales & The Princess Ring Islet (incl. Lunch) on Tripadvisor
- Which company provides Full-Day Whales & The Princess Ring Islet (incl. Lunch)?
- Full-Day Whales & The Princess Ring Islet (incl. Lunch) is hosted by Azores Whale Watching TERRA AZUL. Read reviews, discover additonal experiences or contact Azores Whale Watching TERRA AZUL on Tripadvisor. Discover and book Full-Day Whales & The Princess Ring Islet (incl. Lunch) on Tripadvisor
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 58075P6
Reserve your spot
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
49 reviews
Excellent
40
Very good
5
Average
3
Poor
0
Terrible
1
Justine L
Brussels, Belgium2 contributions
Jul 2022 • Friends
In short, I would advise to do only the half day tour (dolphins/whale watching). In the morning, you set out to see some whales/dolphins and the service is good and professional. In our case, we did not get to see much (from very far away and quick appearances) - but that is nature!
The 3 stars are related to the afternoon part. Compared to the half day tour, you pay 40 euro extra, and we had a hard time reconciling this amount with the quality of the service.
This is not a guided tour, no one from terra azul is accompanying you in the afternoon. Basically, they send you off to a restaurant which probably costs max 20 euros per person if you go on your own. Then, you take the “public boat” to go to the small island. The other passengers did not even seem to pay (no tickets were asked). The boat comes every hour and there was not enough space, so if you are not in front of the queue, you need to wait extra!
Where is the added value of terra azul in that second part of the day? Nowhere. If you really want to princess ring islet, you can do so on your own.
The 3 stars are related to the afternoon part. Compared to the half day tour, you pay 40 euro extra, and we had a hard time reconciling this amount with the quality of the service.
This is not a guided tour, no one from terra azul is accompanying you in the afternoon. Basically, they send you off to a restaurant which probably costs max 20 euros per person if you go on your own. Then, you take the “public boat” to go to the small island. The other passengers did not even seem to pay (no tickets were asked). The boat comes every hour and there was not enough space, so if you are not in front of the queue, you need to wait extra!
Where is the added value of terra azul in that second part of the day? Nowhere. If you really want to princess ring islet, you can do so on your own.
Written July 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Friend,
Thank you for your visit and for your feedback.
We appreciate your understanding of wildlife tours. When in the wild, in this case the open ocean, it is not possible to guarantee any species, proximity or interaction.
Regarding the remaining part of your tour, indeed it is possible to do the afternoon on your own - at a higher price, without a guaranteed (paid) ticket to the Islet of Vila Franca do Campo which has limited availability, and no snorkeling gear.
This specific tour is a joint package we sell with local providers to allows better pricing for our visitors - €95. By purchasing items individually you would be paying €64 for the Whale watching tour, plus (at least) €25 for lunch, and another €10 for a ticket to the Islet - for which you would need to wait on a line with no guarantee you would get a ticket, and no snorkeling equipment.
However, we understand your concern and we will review and improve all available information about this tour.
We hope you can understand this reasoning and verify the reviews and comments from other visitors, to revise your review to a higher star rating for our service quality.
We hope to have you back for another good time! :)
Written July 8, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Emma B
Hamden, CT3 contributions
Jun 2023
We had a great time at each of the individual activities. The whaling tour was awesome and the snorkeling at the small island was spectacular! That said, I really don't recommend purchasing this as the full day package. You can get exactly the same experience if you just purchase the half day of whaling and then go get some lunch and go to the island yourself, and it will be MUCH cheaper. The second half of the day you're paying for is just that they arrange for lunch at a nearby restaurant and then buy you a 10 euro ticket on the same boat that everybody uses to get to the island. You can do that yourself!!
Written July 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rhowarth
Mount Laurel, NJ2 contributions
Oct 2022 • Friends
Definitely do not purchase the full day tour package with lunch and visit to the small island. It’s a rip off, you can pay 10 euro round trip to go to the island yourself. The lunch is definitely not worth 30 euro.
Written October 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Friend,
Thank you for your visit and for your kind words.
We always take our visitors' feedback seriously, and yours is no different.
You may be happy to know that we monitor the quality of the restaurant we share visitors with, and have since changed the selection of restaurants we now recommend to our visitors.
We hope you can consider this and verify the reviews and comments from other visitors, to revise your review to a higher star rating for our service quality.
We hope to have you back for another good time! :)
Written May 19, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tosca B
Amsterdam, The Netherlands8 contributions
Sep 2022 • Friends
Great experience. Good guidance from the tour guide. They did everything in their power to see whales (safely and without disturbing them. We got rewarded with a nice view of a sperm whale and a lot of dolphins.
The lunch was fine. In terms of quantity it was great. The little cake (queijada) was magnificent. Service was great. The fish was just okay. Not bad, not great.
It was nice that tickets for the ferry to the island were included, so you didn't have to stand in line for the tickets with the risk of the tickets being out of stock. It was nice experience to snorkel within a crater.
The lunch was fine. In terms of quantity it was great. The little cake (queijada) was magnificent. Service was great. The fish was just okay. Not bad, not great.
It was nice that tickets for the ferry to the island were included, so you didn't have to stand in line for the tickets with the risk of the tickets being out of stock. It was nice experience to snorkel within a crater.
Written September 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Friend,
Thank you for your visit and for your kind words.
We hope to have you back for another good time! :)
Written September 12, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nick Hall
1 contribution
Aug 2022 • Couples
The islet was the best part. Such a cool experience and having all the gear provided was great. Staff was super helpful and gave clear steps for the self guided portions. Very energetic as well and really made sure the whole group was getting the most out of the entire day
Written September 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Friend,
Thank you for your visit and for your kind words.
We hope to have you back for another good time! :)
Written September 12, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Dean P
Vancouver, Canada1 contribution
Jul 2022 • Family
Awesome experience for the kids. Staff (Alex) went out of her way to ensure we had a great time. Lunch was much better than what we expected (and saw reviewed). It was a 5 course meal from salad to dessert and coffee — entree options were fish or pork. Snorkelling was a lot of fun, the kids loved seeing all the fish and the water was calm. Highly recommend as it was definitely a highlight.
Written August 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Friend,
Thank you for your visit and for your kind words.
We hope to have you back for another good time! :)
Written August 3, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Oboemaboem
Rotterdam, The Netherlands2 contributions
We enjoyed this day. The organization is professional and nice. We saw two types of dolphins and a few sperm whales that showed their jumping skills. Very nice. The lunch was nothing special (one table with a larger group) and the islet visit can also be arranged by yourself. Not sure if this was worth the extra price. So, this experience was expensive, but not to be missed
Written August 8, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Friend,
Thank you for your visit and kind words :)
Your comments have been noted. We are always looking for improvement, and counting on our visitors' feedback to lead us to an always better practice.
Thank you for your feedback, we hope to have you back for another tour! :)
Written August 8, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Molly F
New York City, NY44 contributions
Jul 2019 • Couples
I never thought I’d get to see sperm whales (not to mention at least three species of dolphin, turtles, and more) up close, but hoo boy, did we ever! Terra Azul were great about coordinating hotel pickup and drop-off for us and the whale-watching tour itself was a huge treat—shoutout to guide Vanessa and skipper Nuno. We did the full-day tour, which included a tasty local lunch and snorkeling at the princess ring islet. Our provided snorkel gear was too fogged-up to be of any use, but the islet is gorgeous. I’d recommend packing flip-flops (or, better yet, water shoes) and some snacks and drinks to tide you over—and be advised that the hourly return boats seem to fill up quickly. That said, the islet was a really great experience and a highlight of our time in the Azores.
Written July 6, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Molly,
Thank you for your visit and for your kind words.
We hope to have you back for another good time! :)
Written July 8, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
18Julia18
New York5 contributions
Aug 2018 • Family
Overall, we enjoyed this trip. It consisted of two parts. The first one, was a boat ride to possibly see whales. We were not lucky and saw two different species of dolphins, which were a delight to watch on their natural habitat. The boat ride itself was awesome since you could see the island from the water, it's magnificent!
The lunch was ok, nothing special.
The second part of the trip was the snorkeling. The islet itself looks better in pictures and from the water, then when you actually get there. We spent about two hours there, since you have to sit or lie down on the rocks. Definitely need water shoes to walk on the rocks and get in and out of the water. The changing facilities and the bathroom were not clean, just be aware of that. Otherwise, nice trip. For us, though, it was not a full day, we were back at around 3pm
The lunch was ok, nothing special.
The second part of the trip was the snorkeling. The islet itself looks better in pictures and from the water, then when you actually get there. We spent about two hours there, since you have to sit or lie down on the rocks. Definitely need water shoes to walk on the rocks and get in and out of the water. The changing facilities and the bathroom were not clean, just be aware of that. Otherwise, nice trip. For us, though, it was not a full day, we were back at around 3pm
Written September 11, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Julia,
Thank you for your visit!
We appreciate your concern, and we will pass your feedback on to the natural reserve's staff.
We hope to have the opportunity to make up to you on your next tour! :)
Written September 11, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
אביב לדרר
Chaweng, Thailand7 contributions
Jul 2019 • Couples
We took the full day tour and it was a really great day!
We’ve seen both dolphins and whales and we also saw the beautiful lagoon of Villa Franca do campo. The crew complied with the local regulations and it was clear that they do everything in their power to keep the animals safe (-:
We’ve seen both dolphins and whales and we also saw the beautiful lagoon of Villa Franca do campo. The crew complied with the local regulations and it was clear that they do everything in their power to keep the animals safe (-:
Written July 7, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Friend,
Thank you for your visit and for your kind words.
We hope to have you back for another good time! :)
Written July 8, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kelley Q
Salem, NH35 contributions
it looks like there are a few hours in the afternoon that are free time - possibly snorkeling or exploring. Are there beach chairs etc for others to sit if they are not interested ?
Also for the meal if we have someone who is not interested in fish are there any other options for the meal or should we look at other trips that don’t include lunch? We are a party of 11 and most wont eat fish :(
Thanks
Kell
Nuno
Sesimbra, Portugal4 contributions
I have been there in the afternoon after a boat trip.
Lunch was in a restaurant nearby, and there were option of meat and fish dish. It is a group thing, pre-paid by the organization, so no menu. But it was ok. If you are 11 you should book because the village is small and your time is limited.
About the exploring/snorkeling you are safe inside the ring lagoon which was in fact a vulcano a long time ago. But if you go outside it's the Atlantic, and waves against the rocks ... you must know what you are doing. Sitting is possible, on flat rocks but no chairs available. Bring some shoes to protect feet while walking on rocks, you will thank me for this one...
Holger G
Rochlitz, Germany6 contributions
Gibt es auch eine deutsch geführte Tour?
Filipe
Ponta Delgada, Portugal35 contributions
Lieber Freund,
Ja, das Unternehmen hat guides, die Deutsch sprechen, für diejenigen, die dies zum Zeitpunkt der Reservierung fragen. Bitte beachten Sie, dies hängt von der Verfügbarkeit ab und ist nicht garantiert.
Fühlen Sie sich frei, die Firmenwebsite für spezifischere Informationen über jede Touren zu überprüfen.
hanseatisch
Hamburg, Germany
Hi,
is the trip to the island offered all year round or is there a season?
Filipe
Ponta Delgada, Portugal35 contributions
Hi,
Apologies for the late reply.
Dates open to public vary, between the beginning of June and the end of September.
Hope this helps. Cheers!
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Full-Day Whales & The Princess Ring Islet (incl. Lunch) provided by Azores Whale Watching TERRA AZUL
Product Overview: Full-Day Whales & The Princess Ring Islet (incl. Lunch)
Prices From | $131 |
|---|---|
Number of Reviews | 49 |
Number of Photos | 38 |
Duration | 480 minutes |