Via São Jorge - Azores

The Azores Islands

This remote archipelago simply abounds with adventures. Visiting the Azores it is, in fact, like been in the Hawaii of the mid-Atlantic. It has world-class whale watching, sailing, diving, hiking and canyoning. Excellent surfing and other watersports. Rich opportunities for on horseback, on bikes or, for the daredevils, by paraglider. Then there is the landscape itself. A wonderland of seething mud pots, fantastical caverns, and vivid crater lakes that speak of a volcanic origin. The Azores contain two of Portugal’s 15 Unesco World Heritage sites – the vineyards of Pico Island and the old town of Angra do Heroismo on Terceira Island – and three biospheres (Graciosa Island, Flores Island and Corvo Island). The Lagoons of São Miguel Island are like paradise. The regional government has bolstered this with an award-winning network of natural parks and marine reserves to safeguard the unspoiled environment. With liberalisation of the airline industry making the islands more accessible than ever before, the Azores look well placed to finally capitalise on their vast potential as a world-leading example of sustainable tourism.