“THE BUILDERS OF THE BUSINESS”
By a twist of fate, the two creators of this project met, fell in love, and began walking the journey of life together — always “hand in hand.”
When they met, bicycles were already part of their lives. Victor, with his Dutch habits, had brought cycling to Graciosa Island, equipped for maximum comfort even on an Azorean campsite — he even had a 50-meter electric extension. Violeta, on the other hand, did not yet own a bike on the island, but cycling had long been her way of moving around during her university years. In fact, the very first thing she did upon arriving was to hop on a regular bike and ride to the top of the island — the Caldeira.
In 2014, they discovered love: love for each other, love for this land, its people, its traditions, and its unique landscapes. Their main shared mode of transport wasn’t a bike, but a scooter (at that time, e-bikes weren’t available — and even if they were, it wouldn’t have been possible to ride “hand in hand” on them 😉).
With those two wheels, they wandered through the islands of the “AZtriangle”, exploring, discovering, and deepening their bond. Without realizing it, the foundation of their life together, also became the foundation of what would one day be the philosophy of this company.
Over the years, they built many things to be proud of: a life together, a home, and a family. They embraced the gifts of island living: space, peace, mindfulness, well-being, and the humbling sense of being small within the vastness of nature. They take pride in eating mostly regional and homemade products, reducing their footprint on the natural habitat.
They strongly believe everything happens for a reason, that we don’t need to compete for our “place in the sun,” but instead can emphasize life in community — living together while respecting each other’s beliefs, purposes, goals, and values.
From these values, the idea of HOPIN was born. More than renting and touring with e-bikes across the “AZtriangle”, the true mission is to create an alternative way of experiencing the islands.
It’s about escaping the rush and superficiality of modern life, moving away from the usual “house and car rental” approach, and instead promoting a deeper connection with nature. It’s about reducing the tourist footprint while still enjoying joy, freedom, the uniqueness of the moment, and the comfort of the experience.
In that spirit of freedom, we also chose not to open a physical store with fixed schedules. Instead, we use this website — and the possibilities of the internet — to connect directly with you.
We hope this journey brings us together, and that we have the pleasure of welcoming you here in the Azores — the place we proudly call home.
See you in a bit
Victor&Violeta