Island Hopper | São Miguel Van Tours

We had an amazing experience with Helder and island hopper tours. He was extremely knowledgeable and truly cared about giving us an amazing experience. Would 100% recommend him to anyone coming to the island. He created great conversation and always kept it very fun. He helped us get some key reservations at some amazing restaurants. When we come back we will definitely be using Helder for tours again.

Our tours were absolutely incredible. Vans and drivers were top quality and very safe. There was so much to see, we booked a 2nd day. Our guides were extremely knowledgeable and shared unique details at each destination making each day so memorable. I highly recommend the tea and rum factories, the pineapple plantation, Furnas, Cete Cidas and any lookout they suggest are all magical. Restaurant choices were authentic to the culture and of very high quality. We would have never been able to experience so much of this amazing island in such a short period of time without this very professional tour service. Thank you Island Hoppers!!

Helder provided an amazing experience touring Sao Miguel. He was knowledgeable and provided great details about the island. His van was so clean and comfortable. Helder went above and beyond helping us to make the most of our vacation!

Helder was a spectacular guide and incredible host! He provided a private tour and is incredibly knowledgeable of the island.
Additionally, he called in to get me lunch reservations at a very difficult spot. I arrived with a 30 minute wait, but they sat me immediately thanks to his pulling of some strings.
5 stars all around and 100% recommend! You won’t be disappointed

Helder is the man! Knows the Sao Miguel island very well and in some cases places that only tour guides can go! He helped tremendously with restaurant recommendations and reservations too. Recommend!

We had a half day shore excursion to the twin lakes and fire lake! The views were absolutely fantastic and beautiful! Our driver Helder was very professional and knowledgeable with history, culture, and background of the island! It was one of the best shore excursion throughout out Transatlantic cruise! Highly recommended!

An amazing tour getting to see the island. My first time here and won’t be the last. Helder was a great tour guide was funny and knew his stuff!

Wow! We are so happy we booked with Island Hopper! Helder was incredibly knowledgeable about the island and its history, and took us to some really amazing spots we never would have known about. We felt so lucky to have a local's perspective on the island! We booked two tours, the high elevation tour and the hot springs- we were glad we did! Our van was immaculately clean for both days of our trip and Helder's company was second to none. We stopped at some amazing places for snacks and lunch, and we even got some great recommendations for dinners / the days we were on our own. Island Hopper is a must for any tour of the island! We can't wait to return.

Had a great experience with Helder touring different parts of Sao Miguel. He was helpful and accommodating to ensure we got the most out of our trip!

Definitely have Helder as your tour guide! He made our trip absolutely amazing and took it to another level. He told us all about the island, took us to so many beautiful spots, helped us with dinner reservations and his van was so comfortable and clean! The best part is he was so much fun to be with!!!

Helder was the best tour guide. His recommendations for restaurants were the best. Ages 23 to 84….we all had a great time. Would definitely use them again in the future.

A friend of mine had visited Sao Miguel in June of 2022 and HIGHLY recommended her tour guide Helder Ponta Garca. I can see why as he was absolutely awesome!
He took care of us from the time we landed to the time we left Sao Miguel.
He prearranged our taxi ride from the airport to our Airbnb which I truly appreciated since I had no idea where to start.
I booked my family of 6 on two, 1/2 day tours which we were able to pick our own start time, We did not want to get up early on vacation!!

While touring the north and the south side of the island we experienced so many stunning sights including the hot springs in beautiful Furnas, the tea factory, pineapple plantation, the Lakes and so much more. He also took us to two excellent Azorean restaurants where we enjoyed traditional Portuguese cuisine.
I’d give Helder 10 stars if I could as he made my job as the family travel agent so much easier!!

Helder's tour was incredible! We booked two private tours with him for our family of 3 and it was perfect. He took us to the most gorgeous sites, made lunch reservations for us (both times), and made a special stop for our toddler (that wasn't apart of the tour) at a secluded waterfall! Highly recommend Helder at Island Hopper Adventures :)

Helder was AMAZING! He was so informative and engaging. We had 6 of us, ages ranging from 23 years old to 84 years old, and he was able to relate to all of us. He was so much fun! He was also flexible, working around the weather to make sure that we saw everything that the island has to offer. We can’t wait to come back and bring more family members. 5 stars isn’t enough!!!

Helder was the best tour guide!! We did so many things and he was so knowledgeable and helpful. Definitely would recommend for anyone visiting San Miguel!!

We had a terrific tour on this beautiful island with Alexander. He was informative and enjoyable. We wanted to try Cozido for lunch and they were able to arrange that on the go. Would highly recommend them!

Helder was a great tour guide who know a lot of great spots on the island. Was a huge help finding places to eat!

Where do i begin... forget the rent a car...i wouldnt know where to go!!!! find your way to Halder!!! He is the best tour guide in the Azores. Wonderful insightful tours and esp the ins and outs. He goes the extra mile on every tour. Private bookings work best... heck he even came grocery shopping with us. He made our trip so much more. From restaurants to ice cream shops to points of interest to other tours. Thank you brother. The spartans Hat is coming. We really appreciate how you played an important part of our vacation. Till our next trip to the Azores. Cheers.
Mike and V

Helder is a knowledgeable & friendly tour guide! His beautiful (& very clean) VW tour van was clean & cool (see picture). Helder was funny & personable, making not only our day more fun, but our trip to the Azores a fun experience. We visited a rum factory, many scenic overlooks & a pineapple plantation. He answered all of our questions & offered many interesting facts about the island. I HIGHLY recommend Helder’s tour company and will be sending one of our closest friends to him for a tour this September! 10/10, 100%! for Helder. Obrigado! Thank you 😊

HELDER did not disappoint
His manners and the way around he island
2nd to none!!! I would highly recommend island hopper tours ! Truly the best hidden secret !