Inside Banana Manor guesthouse spring cleaning is finished. For the yardwork we have acquired two environmentally (and people) friendly gardening aides: Paula and Lotte (see below).

“The birds are tweeting it from the roofs”, as we say in German: t’is the season for hiking, whale-watching and enjoying the peace and quiet in the Azores! We are currently hosting groups of Biosphere Expeditions and hear every day about the amazing sightings that this season has to offer: whales of all shapes and sizes, including blue whales, spend some time here before they travel on.

The weather has been fabulous, too. No significant rain in the last 4 weeks and the beach in Porto Pim has already attracted some early sunbathers and swimmers!

When will you be sighted in Faial?! We look forward to meeting you soon.

Dear past and future guests of the Banana Manor,

We wish you peaceful, happy holidays and all the best for 2012.

Banana Manor is now hibernating but will be ready to receive you again from mid-March. We look forward to meeting you!

 

Did the greyness of autumn catch up with your summer tan? Are you stressed out and feel like a break? This is the place to be. Slow down, enjoy nature and the luxury of letting it all go with the flow.

Summer is over but temperatures are still very comfortable including the ocean water (we go for a swim whenever we can!). The city is quiet and peaceful and our little community has not started sneezing and coughing yet – the common cold usually starts to spread in January amongst our 15.000 people…

Give us a call if you’d like to join us!

Noch keine Pläne für August und keine Lust auf Nordsee?

Im Banana Manor in Horta sind noch Zimmer frei! Bananen satt, Landschaft grün, Abendunterhaltung garantiert – Anruf genügt!

Air and water temperatures have now moved up a good deal and some time toward the end of May the beach season was quietly opened by some locals and a few bare-bosomed blondes who were not afraid to provoke the natives (mind you, topless sunbathing is not prohibited in Portugal).

Now, in June, you see bikini straps peeking out under many a shirt and dress and the beach is the place to go if you want to meet people. 

The beach closest to our house has been temporarily reduced in size due to the port extension works. However, it remains very popular with many locals and the park next to it is always worth a stroll.

The rooms of the Banana Manor are filling up quickly, do not hesitate to get in touch if you’d like to book one.

The beach is back

In May tourism in the Azores really starts up. However, it is definitely the quiet season and you won’t have to wait in line anywhere or fight for a seat on a whale watching boat. We haven’t seen a drop of rain in weeks now and the temperatures are pleasant and steady.

So, why don’t you pack your bags, jump on a plane and enjoy the peace of the islands before the rush of July and August?

We look forward to receiving a call from you

…are coming to Horta to cool down and enjoy the mild Spring temperatures that we have had for the last couple of weeks. Beautiful tall-ships such as the ”Tenacious” (see www.jst.org.uk) and the ”Alexander von Humboldt” (http://www.sku-duesseldorf.de/sail/alex.htm have stopped in our port this month.

When will you take a break in Horta? We look forward to seeing you here!

Any pirates in sight?

A new year brings new opportunities. We hope that you will take yours to come and visit a fascinating region of Europe, above and under water. Mountains and craters, rivers and lakes – you’ll never get bored with the beauty of these islands.

Reservations can be made at any time for your stay at the Banana Manor from March til December 2011.

We wish you a very happy 2011!

somewhere under the rainbow

While we are still enjoying mild temperatures of 19 degrees Celsius (air and water), the approaching of Christmas is visible in Horta. Decorative street lights have been installed, many shops are putting on a crazy christmas light show…

Today, however, is Thanksgiving day. The favorite holiday of most US Americans. We are celebrating with a homebaked pumpkin pie, made from homegrown pumpkin!

The Banana Manor is going to hibernate from mid-December. We will be back in action in March 2011. Until then, we wish you all the best and happy holidays!

….and that’s on a cold day. After a few days of rainstorm at the end of August that cleansed the  beaches and rock-pools, we are now enjoying a wonderfully warm late summer. No wait at the restaurants, no queuing at the ferry terminal. This is the relaxed season (Unless you’re Portuguese and your children start school on Monday!).

Room rates at our guesthouse are relaxed, too. We already apply lower rates now and October will bring you even better deals. Get away from those 8 degree cold nights, book a flight to the Azores!

cruiseships will become a frequent sight when Horta's new port is ready