Heldags Van Tour

The beauty of Terceira Island is awe inspiring. Thanks to Andre for showing us the impressive sights. A must do when visiting Terceira.

We enjoyed spending time in the Algar do Carvao and trying the Alcatra for lunch. It was delicious. Our tour guide was a nice guy but he didn't seem to know what tourists would want to know or see. There was no clear itinerary of what the tour would include and it seemed some stops were thrown in at the last minute yet they were not interesting stops. We seemed to spend alot of time at some stops where it wasn't needed making me wonder if we skipped stops we should have gone to. There was a lovely stop on the water where we took photos and there was a restaurant. We hoped that was where we were having lunch but instead ended up somewhere in a village with no explanation why and no information about the village. It did not appear to be a traditional restaurant but the food was very good. We drove by many interesting things and would have loved to have known about them but he didn't say anything. There were a couple of things as tourists that we would have liked to have taken pictures of but we didn't stop. There was another couple with us and he did stop at one point to let them take some photos of interest to them which was fine. When asked questions he did respond and was polite. Overall it was somewhat disappointing.

Our guide, Darcio, was not stop entertaining for the full tour. There were many historical stops, many eating stops and more information than you could process. And yet, he left you hungering for more. We cannot recommend this tour more highly. We are still smiling.

We had a great time and learned a lot about beautiful Terceira. We had a great lunch and watched loading of a ship. Darcio was unhappy that the view was spoiled but things happen. My only complaint was that Darcio talks with his hands, leaving the van to steer itself. He insisted on some cheesy couples photos which amused us and our friends. We got a full day tour.

Our tour was comprehensive, enjoyable and very informative. Darcio is a delightful guide! We learned so much from him about the history and landscape of Terceira. He went out of his way to make sure that our delicious lunch met our dietary needs, too.

I usually don’t write reviews but my 13 yr old daughter asked me today if we could go back to Terceira to see Victor (tour guide). That statement says a lot about the experience we had during our week stay at the Terceira Mar Hotel in April 2019. Prior to our arrival I contacted Sea Adventures and corresponded with Andre who booked numerous tours for me and even planned a trip to another island for my daughter and I. Andre helped us plan an unforgettable vacation. We took 1 to 2 tours a day as we wanted to see everything and the sea adventures staff was knowledgeable, friendly and entertaining!!! We have traveled a lot of places and don’t usually go back to the same place twice but Victor, Andre and Darcie (the whale spotter) made us want to visit Terceira again. We took a beautiful hike, saw whales close up, took a food tour, arts and crafts tour, around the exterior and interior of the island, volcanos and lava tubes, and I know I am missing other stuff but we did so much. I was worried about the island being so small and not having enough to do. However, Andre said “There is enough to do here” and he was right. We were there for a week and could have done mire if we stayed longer. I highly recommend this company if you are in Terceira. Thank you Sea Adventures for making our vacation a trip to remember!!! Victor we hope to make it back one day to take more tours with you. You left an everlasting impression on my daughter with you knowledge and humor. I thank you for the time and attention you gave her.

Thank you Marina and Darcio for the great tours. Can't wait to return!!! Love the volcanoes, food, hiking, everything!!!! 💕💗 Joe & Darcy Salmon

What a wonderful day. We added a food and wine supplement to our trip and ate so much we had to come back and take a 2 hour hike to the fortress at dusk. Starting with the delicious (and huge) traditional beef stew made in a clay pot, we moved to local wine and liquor tasting. Our group of 3, plus the other couple on the tour, ended up singing oldies - need I say more. Then on to the cheese. My friend Jerry says he just doesn’t like or eat cheese. We convinced him to sample and he said he never knew how much he liked cheese, proving (he said) that you can teach an old dog new tricks. Our guide Victor was amazing. Prompt, perfect English, great knowledge of island culture and history, and very patient Portuguese tutor. Imagine our surprise when we discovered we had been ordering “a stick” and not bread. Explains the surprised look on some of our servers’ faces

What a wonderful day. We were able to learn about the history and see all the wonders of this island. Darcio was AMAZING!! To see all the natural beauty and everything this island has. What a wonderful experience. I would highly recommend this.

We did an tour with Darcio and he is an amazing tour guide. He is very informative about the island, plants and history. Sea adventures made this island the highlight of our vacation. We went down into a volcano also toured the island which was a blast. We could have never seen all the things that Darcio showed us without him. Thanks.