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DESTINATIONS AZORES | SPAIN & PORTUGAL


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eological time is usually beyond our comprehension. We


don’t live long enough to watch a glacier carve out a valley or tectonic forces pile up mountains from the sea floor. Visit the Azores, however, and you’ll see the life-cycle of a volcano showcased across the nine islands of the archipelago, like a full-size, step-by-step guide. These Portuguese islands exploded into existence in the Atlantic relatively recently, by geological standards, only a few million years ago. The oldest siblings in the family – including four-million-year-old São Miguel, home to capital Ponta Delgada – are lush and green, the volcanic rock eroded to rich soil, the calderas draped in verdant vegetation, and in spring and summer mantled in clouds of hydrangeas that have become the islands’ signature. In contrast,


the youngest, Pico, a baby at just 300,000 years old, is still all rocky and inky, with twisted lava and a towering cone dominating its centre. This vibrant variety is why clients should choose a multi-centre trip. The islands share similarities, and some activities such as hiking and whale watching are on offer everywhere, but each is unique, with its own character and idiosyncrasies. They’re like beautiful pieces of a jigsaw – glorious individually but stronger together. I saw three of the islands in a week, which gave me an action-packed taste of what the Azores has to offer.


SÃO MIGUEL: CALDERAS AND HOT SPRINGS The most famous view in the Azores is to be found on its largest island. The Sete Cidades Lakes – a twinset, one green, one blue, ringed by a forest-clad caldera ²


travelweekly.co.uk


8 MAY 2025


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