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Guided Walks
Walking Excursions have been an Argonauta vocation since the foundation of the House in 1991. The owner, Pierluigi Bragaglia, published FLORES – AZORES - WALKING THROUGH HISTORY - A guide to the island’s paths and past at the end of 2009, a re-edition into a single Flores Island’s guidebook of the previous Lajes Council Walking and Historical Guidebook (1995) and of the Santa Cruz Historical and Walking Guidebook (1999). Both of these books represented the first historical survey of the island’s footpaths but their content has been thoroughly reviewed and enriched in the new 2009 “historical and walking guidebook”, which you can buy online in this website. On Flores, we can walk together in 4 languages (English, Italian, Portuguese or French) along the most suitable path for the client. The client may choose the itinerary according to his own stamina and the weather conditions, or let us do so. For individuals or groups of up to 6 people, Argonauta can do the whole job, from accommodation to station-wagon transport through to the end of the hike. And, it is easy to hire additional vehicles for larger groups.
Sea and Crater Lake Kayak Tours, Kayak-fishing
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The kayak doesn't need previous experience, is non-polluting and quiet - so you can appreciate the unforgettable sounds of Flores all while getting a well balanced work out! While out on the kayak, you will be able to get closer to the Mid-Atlantic waters and to their varied fauna of fish and birds.
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The rigid sea kayak with waterproof tanks to carry your gear and the inflatable kayak with nylon reinforced PVC floor, were thoroughly tested in the past years. The boats are extremely stable and resistant, offering high manoeuvrability. The rigid kayaks are stored near the house and the inflatable packs away into a bag which can be easily carried to the spectacular crater lakes or to sheltered waters near the coast, unreachable by other means of transport.
Kayak Tours:
By signing a Terms & Liability form, the Argonauta’s residents can join our kayak tours tailored to their desires: half-day guided tours (some 4 hours or so) paddling around the bay and reaching the nearby islets and waterfalls; full day 8 hrs. tours with light lunch and landing; 1, 2 or 3 nights camping tours with or without meals at the camp sites along Flores island coastline; all gear provided. Please contact for schedule and prices.
Kayak-fishing:
Fishing by kayak! If you love fishing, don't miss the opportunity to fish in the middle of the ocean from the kayak, catches are almost guaranteed (you never know though!...) and you can go along with a guide in just one boat or we can prepare a couple of fishing-kayaks. Bring your own rod, reel & line or rent ours and use one of the several barbecues in Fajã Grande or at home to grill your prey!
Station-wagon Tours:
These excursions all over the island are guided in 4 languages, driving a comfortable 7 seated vintage Peugeot station-wagon along the recently improved island road network. Beside the access to outstanding landscapes, the Argonauta tours also guarantee an informative experience of sightseeing coupled with historical information. At the same time, we stop at or walk to all places for a while, not just “physically” but also chronologically, accompanied by a narration of all the local historical and natural facts, from the Age of the Discoveries to the present. During the tour, all the accesses to footpaths will be pointed out to passengers as well as other good ideas for how to spend the remaining days of their holiday. Departure from Argonauta at 10 a.m., return at 4 p.m.: it’s a 6 hour excursion driving around and enjoying short walks, including a pause for lunch. The actual places to be visited will depend on the passengers’ personal rhythm and of course on the weather conditions. Field experience teaches that poor visibility due to low pressure means searching for trails that lead towards the coast and spending less time wandering between inland craters and peaks; with good visibility, Flores Island’s territory can been divided into 3 different daily itineraries.
Bookings for Other Azores or Lisbon
 We can suggest other idyllic Azorean destinations in elegant, rural houses, which have been personally tried and are recommended as equivalent or superior to our own standards. Or, if you prefer, we can book clean, cheaper rooms, which will fit any budget. For almost a decade we have been booking exclusively for our guests stays and/or their SATA
flights throughout the archipelago; we then issue a code and the tickets can be collected in any office of the same company, usually in Lisbon or on the island of entry from the mainland. The service includes the first enquiries to the hotel for availability and up-to-date prices, plus all other necessary calls or e-mails between the unit and the client, until we get the final confirmation for our argonauts.
Laundry
Service
The house offers a Laundry Service exclusively for guests, including drying and ironing.
Internet
and Telephone
The sitting-room hosts a computer which offers the opportunity to surf on the Net: thanks to the blessed arrival of a quite narrow – but good enough! - broadband to Fajã Grande in 2006, since 2007 we can offer free internet access exclusively to our guests. We also have a phone with a counter if you need to make a “traditional” call…
Breakfast:
Our large breakfast’s served between 8:30 and 12:00 a.m. and, on demand, we can also prepare a Backpacker’s Picnic, so that you can lunch along one of Flores’ outstanding footpaths.
During Summer months, our daily restaurant service will pause, in order to enhance the excursions’ sector and to ensure the best quality to all other services. However, we’ll keep serving gourmet dinners dedicated to our guests every now and then, always paying attention to clients’ special meal requests with previous booking to celebrate any personal event. Also, clients will be notified locally whether it will be served a raw fresh fish sashimi every now and then.
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