The Azores sit in the mid-Atlantic on the triple junction of three tectonic plates, which explains everything about them — the volcanic landscape, the geothermal pools, the whale population, and the wildly variable weather that can deliver all four seasons in a single afternoon.
São Miguel concentrates the drama: Sete Cidades is a pair of lakes in a volcanic crater, one green and one blue as seen from the rim, and Furnas is an active caldera with geothermal vents and a restaurant that cooks cozido underground in the steam. The island manages the extraordinary feat of feeling completely undiscovered while being three hours from London.
Pico rises 2,351 metres straight from the Atlantic — a near-perfect volcanic cone that is Portugal's highest mountain and, on clear days, visible from Faial across the channel. The whale-watching from Faial operates with biologists who use land-based spotters and zodiacs — the experience of being alongside a 15-metre sperm whale at sea level, with the volcano behind you, is something most people do not think of when they think of Europe.
In-depth guide
The Azores Islands Adventure Guide
6 min read