The Azores – Hiding in plain sight
You’ll have to hit the zoom button in Google Maps a few times before being able to see the nine volcanic islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean that comprise The Azores. One of Portugal’s two autonomous regions (the other being Madeira), The Azores has long been out of reach for the average traveller due to its remoteness and the high cost of getting there. That all changed in 2015, when The Azores Government opened up its airspace to foreign airlines. These spectacular islands can now be reached in about five hours from the USA and Canada, and just over four hours from Europe.
Whether your flight is coming in from the east or west, your entry point will be Ponta Delgada, the region’s capital and largest city. Ponta Delgada is situated on São Miguel, the biggest Azorean island, and where you’ll likely spend the majority of your holiday (although you should definitely consider doing some island hopping). You can drive across São Miguel in about an hour, so you can easily explore the island by taking car or scooter.
Exploring “the Hawaii of Europe”
Much in the same way many Eastern European cities are described as “The Paris of the East”, I’ve seen a number of destinations described as “The Hawaii of…”. Well, I think The Azores can safely lay claim to being “the Hawaii of Europe” for its comparable scenery, remoteness, and range of outdoor pursuits you can get stuck into. Although the weather may not live up to that of Hawaii’s, thanks to the Gulf Stream the temperatures range between a pleasant 15 and 25 degrees.
Like Hawaii, you shouldn’t spend all of your time in The Azores on its beaches (although it has over thirty blue flag beaches!). Nor should you be coming to these islands looking for a non-stop party or a place to get wasted on your bachelor/bachelorette/stag/hen party. It just isn’t that kind of place, and hopefully never becomes one! Instead, The Azores is a place for those who love and respect nature. From canyoning, to surfing, to hiking volcanos, to diving, there’s an incredible amount of outdoor activities on offer. Even the less adventurous among us can take part in bird watching on land, or dolphin and whale watching on the water.
The lush and verdant landscape presents a number of instagrammable opportunities. Surely at or near the top of everyone’s list is Lagoa das Sete Cidades (Lake of the Seven Cities), a twin lake in the crater of a dormant volcano. Another must-see crater lake to visit is Lagoa do Fogo (Lake of Fire!), located in the very centre of São Miguel.
These volcanic islands also offer plenty of opportunities to soak in thermal waters. Some solid options include: Caldeira Velha, Termas das Caldeiras, Terra Nostra Gardens, and Poça da Dona Beija. This thermal activity is put to good use in the local cuisine as one of the specialities, Cozido das Furnas, is a stew that is slow cooked in volcanic steam for over five hours! Awesome.
Time for tea
I’d be remiss if I concluded this post without mentioning this fantastic little factoid: The Azores is home to Europe’s oldest and only tea plantation! How cool is that? Be sure to swing by and sample a truly unique cup of tea.
Direct flights to The Azores:
- Amsterdam: TUI Fly Netherlands
- Billund: Primera Air
- Boston: SATA/Azores Airlines
- Brussels: Tui Fly Belgium
- Frankfurt: SATA/Azores Airlines
- London: (Stansted/Gatwick), SATA/Azores Airlines, RyanAir
- Manchester: RyanAir
- Montreal: SATA/Azores Airlines
- Munich: SATA/Azores Airlines
- New York: Delta
- Providence: SATA/Azores Airlines
- Toronto: Azores Airlines three times a week from as low as $570
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