Horticulturist and author David Sayers ran a travel company for 26 years and in 1984 pioneered the first ever walking/botanical tour to the Azores. He has been going back ever since and has led many tours, sharing his enthusiasm for the life of all nine islands. Over the years it has been a journey of constant discovery, finding new walks, new eateries, new interests as the islands have gradually joined the modern world without losing their native charm. Empathy for these isolated islands brought requests to help restore several of São Miguel’s historic gardens, which are now visitor ‘must sees’. After a lifetime of worldwide travel, the Azores remain his favourite destination. 
While David has continued to lend his considerable expertise and knowledge to the writing of this new edition, general authorship has rested with Murray Stewart. While working on the previous edition of this guide, he spent some months visiting the Azores, and for this edition he has returned once more. A keen walker, he has fully enjoyed the numerous excellent hikes on all nine Azorean islands, crossing landscapes sculpted by years of volcanic activity. One of his keenest memories was offshore, spotting fin, blue and pilot whales in one magical morning off Ponta Delgada. ‘I love the islands’ authenticity’ he says, which remains intact despite increasing visitors numbers. Murray is an experienced guidebook updater and author with a passion for wildlife and the outdoors in general. He speaks five languages, including some Portuguese, and in 2016 won the British Guild of Travel Writers’ Award for Best Travel Guide for the first edition of Bradt’s Basque Country and Navarre.