Activities we love to do when on holiday

5 activities we love to do when on holiday

Increasingly, we’re seeing more people wanting to incorporate their interests into the holidays we plan for them.  For me, this has always been a big part of my personal holidays; whether it’s Rock Climbing, Cycle Touring, Wildlife Experiences or just learning about the history of somewhere I’m visiting through someone who’s passionate about where they live.

Hiking/Walking- Probably the most accessible and popular activity we offer.  It doesn’t matter how fit we are as there is a hike for almost everyone.  Some people want to hike all day, others just an a hour or two.  Living in Keswick, we see the short walkers, the day hikers and those who love the challenge of the long distance walks like the Coast to Coast or Hadrian’s Wall.  But one thing that connects all these people is the smile on their faces and the sense of freedom they radiate as each heads out on their day of discovery.  All Archipelago Choice holidays can include walks and hikes – just ask and we’ll make suggestions of a favourite walks.

Lake District Guided Walking Holiday
Walking in Borrowdale – Max

CyclingWe’re all loving our bikes at the moment and this has been reflected in the massive surge in bike sales over the past year.  We’re all keen cyclists at Archipelago Choice; Max and Paul for their mountain biking adventures and I love the freedom you get from cycle touring.  Increasingly, we’re seeing people want to add a day or two of cycling to their holiday itineraries. Sometimes, this is day of guided mountain biking or it could be the hire of a carbon fibre road bike and the search for a local Strava challenge! In Portugal, the Azores and Madeira  it’s possible to mountain bike, go cycle touring and put some miles in on a road bike!

Birdwatching –  I recently heard that more people go birdwatching than attend football matches! I’ve no idea how much truth is in this, but I do know a lot of people like to birdwatch! The Azores is of particular interest to those looking for vagrants (usually American birds on European soil), there is is a also a dedicated group of people looking for pelagic rarities like the Monteiro’s Storm Petrels which are found of the island of Graciosa in the Azores.  For those looking for rare endemics, then Sao Tome is the place to go as the islands have 28 endemics and 11 endemic subspecies.

Sao Tome and Principe Holidays - Black-winged red bishop

Canyoning – It’s not something that is really offered in the UK and the nearest we have, would be ghyll scrambling. However, canyoning in Madeira and the Azores is one of our most popular ‘adventure’ activities.  Trips are always guided by qualified leaders and you spend between 2 and 4 hours wading through, sliding down, abseiling off and jumping into mountainside rivers.  It’s wet, great fun, a little challenging but also stores up memories for a lifetime – kids love to say how mum and dad were scared to jump!

Northern Portugal Holidays Peneda-Gerês National Park Canyoning

Whale and dolphin watching – Over the years it become one of life’s highlights to see whale and dolphins in their natural environment.  After walking, this is probably the most popular activity people do when travelling with Archipelago Choice.  The Azores are an excellent choice for seeing blue, fin and sperm whales.  But it’s also possible to see whales off Madeira, Cape Verde and Sao Tome.  However, without doubt, the best place to go is Baja California from February to April – put it on your bucket list!

Azores

These are just a taster of what you can include in your Archipelago Choice holiday –

Find out more by:

Emailing: ian@archipelagochoice.com

Telephone: 017687 75672

Thanks for reading

Ian

Founder – Archipelago Choice