UD Rating - 4 Stars

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From £1095

Hotel Colombo

A relaxed island hotel in Vila do Porto on the Azores’ sunniest island.

Hotel Colombo is a spacious and comfortable hotel located in Vila do Porto on Santa Maria Island in the Azores, Portugal, offering a relaxed stay on the sunniest island of the archipelago. Positioned just a short drive from the airport, harbour and Praia Formosa, the hotel provides a convenient base for exploring the island’s beaches, volcanic landscapes and scenic coastal viewpoints.

The hotel features a range of rooms, suites and apartments, many with private balconies overlooking the surrounding countryside or sea. Accommodation is equipped with modern amenities such as air conditioning, Wi-Fi, television and minibar, creating a comfortable and practical environment for both leisure and longer stays.

Guests can enjoy facilities including an outdoor swimming pool, bar with terrace, garden areas and breakfast service, providing relaxed spaces to unwind while taking in the island’s warm climate and scenic views.

With its convenient location, spacious accommodation and laid-back atmosphere, Hotel Colombo offers a pleasant base for discovering the natural beauty and unique character of Santa Maria Island in the Azores.

Board Basis

Bed & Breakfast Daily breakfast
Half Board Daily breakfast and dinner
Hotel_Colombo_double_twin_room

Double or Twin Room

The Double or Twin Rooms measure approximately 26 m² and feature one double bed or two twin beds, accommodating up to 2 guests. Designed for comfort and practicality, they include a private balcony and a simple, well-organised layout.

  • Mini Bar
  • Hairdryer
  • Air conditioning
  • T.V.
  • Telephone
  • Safety Deposit Box (Extra Cost)
  • Daily Housekeeping
  • Private Balcony
  • Bathtub
  • Wi-Fi
Hotel_Colombo_triple_room

Triple Room

The Triple Rooms offer around 26 m² of space with two twin beds and one additional bed, accommodating up to 3 guests. They provide a functional and comfortable option for small groups or families.

  • Mini Bar
  • Hairdryer
  • Air conditioning
  • T.V.
  • Telephone
  • Safety Deposit Box (Extra Cost)
  • Daily Housekeeping
  • Private Balcony
  • Bathtub
  • Wi-Fi
Hotel_Colombo_one_bedroom_apartment

One Bedroom Apartment

The One-Bedroom Apartments measure approximately 58 m² and feature two twin beds and sofa beds, accommodating up to 4 adults. With a more residential layout, they are ideal for longer stays.

  • Mini Bar
  • Hairdryer
  • Air conditioning
  • Dining Area
  • T.V.
  • kitchenette
  • Telephone
  • Safety Deposit Box (Extra Cost)
  • Daily Housekeeping
  • Private Balcony
  • Bathtub
  • Living Area
  • Wi-Fi
  • Wardrobe
  • Microwave

Map

Marcelina

Friday, 06 December 2013

Fabulous Fiji by Marcelina Jesus on Sport Diver Magazine

Lured by the promise of world-class reefs and adrenaline-fueled shark encounters Marcelina Jesus ventures to the wild islands of Fiji.

Fabulous Fiji by Marcelina Jesus on Sport Diver Magazine

Available Experiences

Itineraries available in this destination

Click the enquire button to make an enquiry for this resort or if you are interested in a bespoke itinerary. One of our experts will discuss the products available and create your personal itinerary.

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What Our Customers Have To Say

Reviews from our Clients, Journalists, Photo Pro's and our own Experts

Our reviews and blogs are an additional guide to evaluate if the holiday is exactly what you are looking for or not. Some love an Eco-Resort, some love air-con and a flat screen TV, we aim to ensure you get what you are looking for, at great value for money.

Click the enquire button to make an enquiry for this resort or if you are interested in a bespoke itinerary. One of our experts will discuss the products available and create your personal itinerary.

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Haliotis Dive Centre

Hotel Colombo

Haliotis Santa Maria is a professional dive centre located at Hotel Colombo in Vila do Porto on Santa Maria Island, part of Portugal's spectacular Azores archipelago. As Haliotis' largest dive centre in the Azores, it provides access to around 55 dive sites featuring volcanic walls, caves, canyons, reefs and open-ocean environments. The island's exceptional location and nutrient-rich Atlantic waters attract an impressive variety of pelagic marine life, with encounters with large schools of fish and the graceful Mobula tarapacana manta rays among the highlights.

The centre offers guided single and double dives, night dives, freediving excursions and specialist trips to renowned sites including Ambrósio, Dollabarat, Formigas, Pedrinha, Ilhéu da Vila and Baixa da Maia. The spectacular Ambrósio and Dollabarat/Formigas marine reserves are particularly famous for encounters with schooling pelagics and, at times, numerous manta rays. Diving is conducted from comfortable semi-rigid boats, allowing access to Santa Maria's more remote offshore sites and exceptional oceanic diving experiences.

Haliotis Santa Maria is equipped with spacious male and female changing facilities, hot-water showers, two classrooms, a technical area, equipment rental and a dive shop, with around 50 sets of Aqualung equipment available for guests. The centre operates two semi-rigid dive boats and is staffed by experienced PADI professionals, including instructors with backgrounds in marine biology and extensive local knowledge. Haliotis as a whole is a PADI Career Development Centre, holding PADI's highest rating, while the Santa Maria team provides PADI training and professional diving services.

With its excellent facilities, prime location at Hotel Colombo and access to some of the Azores' most exciting pelagic dive sites, Haliotis Santa Maria offers an exceptional base for divers looking to experience the wild and diverse underwater world of the Atlantic.

PADI Open Water Diver (Inc Equipment)

This is the most popular dive program in the world! And can be your chance to have a lifetime of intense adventures.

The PADI Open Water Diver course consists of three main phases:

Knowledge Development ( online, independent study or in a classroom) to understand basic principles of scuba diving
Confined Water Dives to learn basic scuba skills
Open Water Dives to use your skills and explore!

PADI Advanced Open Water Diver

The Advanced Open Water Diver program gives you the opportunity to take your diving skill to the next level through three new areas of diving.
You complete your Deep Dive, Underwater Navigation Dive, Night Dive and two other dives for a total of five to attain your Advanced Open Water Diver certification.

This certification includes five dives, including the Deep Diver, the Underwater Navigation Diver and three of the following: You’ll plan your learning path with your instructor by choosing from a long list of Adventure Dives. There are two required dives – Deep and Underwater Navigation – and you choose the other three, for a total of five dives. During the Deep Adventure Dive, you learn how to plan dives to deal with the physiological effects and challenges of deeper scuba diving. The Underwater Navigation Adventure Dive refines your compass navigation skills and helps you better navigate using kick-cycles, visual landmarks and time.

The other knowledge and skills you get vary with your interest and the adventures you have – photography, buoyancy control, fish identification, exploring wrecks and many more.

PADI ReActivate Scuba Refresher Program

Update your dive skills and knowledge with a quick scuba refresher from the PADI Open Water Diver Course before jumping back into the water.

Using ReActivate Touch (for tablets or mobile devices) or ReActivate Online (for your personal computer), you’ll immerse yourself in dive scenarios and make decisions that test your understanding of important dive safety concepts, dive planning essentials and problem management. Move through ReActivate at your own pace and delve deeper into topics when you need or want to.
In the water, your PADI Professional will help you regain comfort and confidence in scuba diving. You’ll practice a few safety-related skills and then go over anything you specifically want to review.

PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider

Immediately recognize scuba diving illnesses treatable with emergency oxygen and be prepared to offer aid. There are no prerequisites or age restrictions. This course is open to everyone.

You’ll learn about dive injuries, different types of emergency oxygen equipment and safety considerations when using oxygen. Then you’ll practice:

PADI Discover Scuba Diving

This course is a subset of the PADI Open Water Diver course. If you're short on time but really want to become a diver, the PADI Scuba Diver rating might be right for you.

The PADI Scuba Diver course consists of three main phases:

PADI Bubblemaker

Experience scuba diving under the direct supervision of a PADI Pro. Take your first breaths underwater in water shallower than 2 metres/6ft. For children who are at least 8 years old.

Bubble makers get a chance to:

PADI Seal Team

The PADI Seal Team is for young scuba divers who are looking for action-packed fun in a pool by completing exciting Aqua Missions. Do cool stuff in the pool, and meet friends.

PADI Rescue Diver

Become a Rescue Diver. A great level to be. You will have the skills to aid your fellow divers in an emergency.

The PADI Rescue Diver course prepares you to deal with dive emergencies, minor and major, using a variety of techniques. Through knowledge development and rescue exercises, you learn what to look for and how to respond. During rescue scenarios, you put into practice your knowledge and skills. Topics include:

PADI Underwater Naturalist

Get a better understanding about the local ecosystem and the differences between terrestrial and aquatic worlds. See new things, even in the most familiar dive sites.

Through class discussions and on two scuba dives, you’ll learn:

PADI Underwater Navigator

Fine-tune your underwater observation skills and learn to use your compass more accurately. This course may count towards college credit, ask your instructor.

You’ll learn the tools of the trade, including navigation using natural clues and by following compass headings. During three scuba dives, you’ll practice:

PADI Drift Diver

Drift diving can be relaxing and exhilarating. The course teaches you how to enjoy going with the flow as you scuba dive down rivers and use ocean currents to glide along.

Along with drift diving techniques and procedures, you’ll:

PADI Deep Diver

Explore deeper dive sites with confidence at depths down to 40 metres/130ft. Learn to manage your gas supply, go over buddy contact procedures, and buoyancy control.

Your training starts by reviewing reasons for deep diving and how important it is to know your personal limits. During four deep dives with your instructor, you’ll go over:

PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy

Observe aquatic life without disturbing their surroundings. Improve the buoyancy skills you learned as a new diver and elevate them to the next level.

During two scuba dives, you’ll learn how to:

PADI Night Diver

The underwater world changes as day creatures retire & nocturnal organisms emerge. If you've wondered what happens underwater after the sun goes down, enrol in the PADI Night Diver Specialty course.

Scuba diving at night teaches you to focus on what you can see in your light’s beam, on controlling your buoyancy by feel, on staying with your buddy and on paying attention to details you may overlook during the day. During three night dives, you’ll practice:

PADI Enriched Air (Nitrox) Diver

The most popular PADI specialty course. Scuba diving with enriched air nitrox gives you more no decompression time, especially on repetitive scuba dives.

You’ll learn why diving with air that has higher oxygen and lower nitrogen content gives you more bottom time, along with enriched air equipment considerations. During a practical session, and two optional (or required) scuba dives, you’ll:

PADI AWARE Coral Reef Conservation

This course helps you appreciate the complexity of coral reef habitats and teaches how you can help conserve these vital systems.

Through classroom discussions, you learn:

PADI Tec 40

The PADI Tec 40 course is where you transition from recreational scuba diving to technical diving. You will qualify to make limited decompression dives to 40 metres/130 feet.

The Tec 40 course consists of three knowledge development sections, three practical application sessions and four training dives. You'll learn about:

PADI Tec 45

The PADI Tec 45 course is the second part of the full PADI Tec Deep Diver program. You'll extend your depth limit to 45 metres/145 feet and learn to plan and execute repetitive decompression dives using a single stage/decompression cylinder.

Continuing from the Tec 40 course, you will focus on the function and maintenance of tec diving equipment and associated issues. You continue fine-tuning gas planning and calculating accelerated decompression stops. Plus, you learn to think like a technical diver.

PADI Tec 50

Part 3 of the full PADI Tec Deep Diver program. Develop competency & have the skills to dive to a max of 50 metres/165 ft. Learn how to extend & accelerate decompression stops using up to 2 gases.

A primary focus of this course is mission planning and execution. You also learn more about handling emergencies and how to think like a technical diver.

PADI Divemaster

Be a leader who mentors and motivates others. Gain dive knowledge, supervision abilities, and become a role model to divers around the world.

The PADI Dive master course teaches you to be a leader and take charge of dive activities. Through knowledge development sessions, water skills exercises and workshops, and hands-on practical assessment, you develop the skills to organize and direct a variety of scuba diving activities. Topics and practical workshops include:

PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer

The ultimate recreational diver rating. All PADI Instructors with at least 25 PADI Divers and have earned five or more PADI Specialty Instructor certifications can be a Master Scuba Diver Trainer.

You will;

PADI IDC Staff Instructor

This course provides you with in-depth knowledge of the instructor development process and prepares you to shape the next generation of PADI Professionals.

After a pre assessment of your instructor-level knowledge of dive theory, exemplary dive skills and role-model presentation techniques, you’ll participate in these sessions: