Nestled in the heart of the Atlantic, the Azores are my family's homeland and the epitome of beauty and serenity. From stunning lakes and volcanic craters to vibrant festivals and warm locals, this archipelago is the best place I know for creating unforgettable memories. Each island, with its unique landscapes and rich traditions, offers a glimpse into a paradise where every visit feels like coming home.
This page is a general overview of the destination, with direct links to blog posts that are specific to each location down below.
AZORES ISLANDS
California's diverse landscapes offer endless adventures for nature lovers and urban explorers alike. From vibrant cities to breathtaking national parks, there's something for everyone.
Featured Highlights:
Yosemite National Park - Famous for its stunning granite cliffs, waterfalls, giant sequoias, and diverse wildlife.
San Francisco - Explore the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and vibrant neighborhoods.
Los Angeles - Visit Hollywood, Griffith Observatory, and diverse cultural districts.
Faial
Lake Tahoe - Offers premier skiing and snowboarding resorts like Heavenly, Northstar, and Squaw Valley.
Mount Shasta - Provides opportunities for skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing in a less crowded setting.
Mammoth Mountain - Known for its extensive terrain and long ski season.
Big Bear Lake - Popular for its family-friendly ski resorts and cozy mountain cabins.
California's mountains provide fantastic opportunities for winter sports and activities. From world-class ski resorts to serene snowy landscapes, there's plenty to explore during the colder months.
Featured Highlights:
SÃo Jorge
Let's Dig Deeper
destination highlight
Lamanai means "submerged crocodile" in the Maya language.
These ruins date back to 1500 B.C. but have only been excavated since 1975 which makes it relatively new to the archaeological world.
Lamanai was built alongside the New River, which made it an ideal trade route. A boat ride down the river is the best + most comfortable way to access the site.
There are a total of 12 Mayan ruin sites in Belize.
Lamanai is a Mesoamerican archaeological site locates in the northern part of Belize. What once was a major city of the Maya civilization, now is one of the most interesting archaeological sites in Belize.
Interesting facts:
Pico
Lake Tahoe - Offers premier skiing and snowboarding resorts like Heavenly, Northstar, and Squaw Valley.
Mount Shasta - Provides opportunities for skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing in a less crowded setting.
Mammoth Mountain - Known for its extensive terrain and long ski season.
Big Bear Lake - Popular for its family-friendly ski resorts and cozy mountain cabins.
California's mountains provide fantastic opportunities for winter sports and activities. From world-class ski resorts to serene snowy landscapes, there's plenty to explore during the colder months.
Featured Highlights:
São Miguel
Lake Tahoe - Offers premier skiing and snowboarding resorts like Heavenly, Northstar, and Squaw Valley.
Mount Shasta - Provides opportunities for skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing in a less crowded setting.
Mammoth Mountain - Known for its extensive terrain and long ski season.
Big Bear Lake - Popular for its family-friendly ski resorts and cozy mountain cabins.
California's mountains provide fantastic opportunities for winter sports and activities. From world-class ski resorts to serene snowy landscapes, there's plenty to explore during the colder months.
Featured Highlights:
Terceria
Navigating through the Greek Islands is no easy feat! There are so many places that all look dreamy, when sifting through them all, trying to plan for the trip, somehow I kept adding each place to the never ending bucket list of places I must see in this lifetime.
Now I am not one to usually feel stressed or very overwhelmed with much in life, especially when it comes to planning a trip! This time was different though. It was the first time I have ever planned a trip for myself and 15 of my good friends, meaning the pressure to plan it all out perfectly was on! Thankfully I decided to take the pressure off my shoulders and put it onto someone else’s! EF Ultimate Break is a wonderful company that I have spoke about before here on the blog, if you are new here then to catch you up quickly, they are a company I have been traveling with since 2017, they are incredible.
I decided to have them handle everything for us from picking our destinations, organizing the itinerary, to bookings for all the accommodations and transportation between places, and of course orchestrating the excursions. If you are usually the one who has to organize and facilitate everything on vacations, then you know that the vacation never ends up feeling relaxing enough to call it a true vacation, because all of the mental energy is constantly spent on making sure the “next thing” is ready to go off without a hitch.
Not this time! This time I was the relaxed and carefree person on the trip, just enjoying every moment I had with all of my friends. After years of all of us being pulled in opposite directions thanks to this beautiful thing called life, we finally had 10 days where we didn’t have to spend anytime thinking about anything besides what photos we wanted to take and what drinks we wanted to order next.
Here’s what you can expect from the blog posts for each of the three visited locations: Athens, Ios, and Santorini.
I am going to break down all the specifics of the trip, highlighting all the places we went, what we ate, the hotels we stayed at and most importantly, giving you realistic exceptions for your trip!
I believe in full transparency when it comes to my travels, so buckled up! We are about to go through the good, the bad, and then back to the good, because I don’t believe on dwelling on the past or spending too much time discussing the negative things in life!
