Mariëtte van Beek, travel journalist from Leyden, the Netherlands

 

"In July 2013 me and my 16-year-old son had a great day with Henrique Melo en Miguel Marques of Santa Maria Tours. They took us over the whole island of Santa Maria, from the 'red desert' Barreira da Faneca and the famous steep vineyards of Maia to the sandy beach of Praia Formosa. We climbed to the highest point of Pico Alto to have a great view over all sides of the island. We also made the way up to the Chapel of Our Lady of Fatima. In this way, Henrique and Miguel told us, we followed the footsteps of the youngsters of Santa Maria when they go on a daytrip. Likewise, we learned so much about the history and customs of the islanders. Great stories about the early whalers of whom some still are alive and about the Espírito Santo (Holy Spirit) festivities. To name just a few examples. We had as much time as we liked to spend anywhere or to insert extra photo stops. Everything could be adjusted to our wishes in an easygoing and relaxed manner.I highly recommend Santa Maria Tours. These guys are doing great."