The gorgeous islands dubbed 'Hawaii of Europe'
A gorgeous set of European islands have been described as the continent's answer to Hawaii with 'Caribbean-style luxury' - and it's not hard to see why.
The Azores, an autonomous region off the coast of Portugal, are known for their tropical landscapes which make them feel like they're somewhere far more exotic than Europe.
Gavin Lapidus, a travel expert and the founder of eShores, says: 'These volcanic Portuguese islands are Europe's best-kept secret.
'Think Caribbean-style luxury with an eco-conscious soul - dramatic coastlines,mystical crater lakes, and world-class whale watching, all powered by sustainable initiatives.
'Shorter flights from the UK make this archipelago even more appealing. Each of the nine islands has its own distinct personality, from the thermal pools of Sao Miguel to the perfect cone of Pico Mountain, making island-hopping an irresistible adventure.'
Sao Miguel is the largest Azores island and has an international airport, making it the starting point for many adventurers.
Known as the 'Green Island', Sao Miguel is an incredible spot for whale and dolphin watching.
Holidaymakers are in with a chance of spotting bottlenose dolphins, sperm whales, blue whales, minke whales.
Tourists can also head to Sete Cidades, to see the island's spectacular twin blue and green lakes. The lakes differ in colour due to their varied depths, the deeper blue lake reflects the sky, while the green shallow lake reflects the green surroundings.
Sao Miguel's Furnas Valley is a dormant volcanic caldera with plenty of thermal pools to take a dip in.
At the island's Terra Nostra Park, tourists can relax in iron-rich thermal water at temperatures of 37 degrees.
But Sao Miguel isn't the only island worth exploring.
On Pico, known as 'Mountain Island', tourists can enjoy locally produced wine and tackle Mount Pico, the highest mountain in Portugal.
If it's beaches you're after, Faial has the best shoreline according to Lonely Planet which says its 'stretches of sand are worth visiting'.
And Flores is known for its incredible natural beauty, which ranges from waterfalls to lagoons and volcanic craters.
How to get to the Azores
British Airways and Ryanair both offer direct flights to Sao Miguel. Once there, tourists can catch ferries or domestic flights to reach the rest of the islands. The flight takes just over four hours from the UK.
Best time of year to visit the Azores
The Azores can be visited year-round, but the water can sometimes be too choppy for boat tours in December and January. During July and August, the weather is warmest but the islands tend to be at their busiest. The months between April and September are the best time to see whales and dolphins.
Language
Portuguese is the official language in the Azores but English is commonly spoken, particularly in touristy areas.
Currency
The Azores uses the Euro as standard currency.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
42 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
British tourist condemns Benidorm hotel because the 'entertainment was all Spanish' and 'the Spanish are loud are rude' in damning review
A furious British holidaymaker condemned a Benidorm hotel because of its 'loud and rude' Spanish guests and for not offering entertainment in English. In a scathing review posted on TripAdvisor, the Brit who stayed at Port Fiesta Park in the Spanish resort said: 'Lovely hotel but the food was poor plates always cold. Footballers arrived every weekend we were there noisy and given priority at meal times. Entertainment all Spanish.' Leaving a one-star review, the former guest also said 'Spanish guests were loud and rude.' 'Would not recommend', the Brit added. Despite the brutal overall rating, the holidaymaker gave the categories for value, location, service, rooms, cleanliness and sleep quality five stars. The hotel responded to the guest's remarks, saying: 'Thank you for sharing your opinion with us. We apologize if your experience was not as you expected and we take note of everything described in order to improve our service day by day. We are saddened by your story about other guests. 'Our hotel, like Benidorm, is an international destination that receives people of up to 10 different nationalities every day and all are welcome. Sincerely, the Port Fiesta Park team,' it added. But the Brit is not the first to complain about the amount of Spanish locals in the tourist destination. Leaving a one-star review, the former guest also said 'Spanish guests were loud and rude' Back in 2018, a British grandmother claimed her her holiday to Benidorm was ruined because her Spanish hotel had 'too many Spaniards in it'. Freda Jackson from Blackburn, Lancashire, said she cried at the end of her two-week trip to the popular holiday destination which she booked through travel operator Thomas Cook. The pensioner said her hotel was teeming with 'rude' Spaniards - and claimed one nearly knocked her over on one occasion. Ms Jackson had booked to stay at the Poseidon Playa, located on the outskirts of Benidorm in south east Spain, with a friend in April 2017. Ms Jackson said: 'The hotel was full of Spanish holidaymakers and they really got on our nerves because they were just so rude. 'One evening a Spanish guy nearly knocked me flying and he just walked off without even apologising. 'The entertainment in the hotel was all focused and catered for the Spanish - why can't the Spanish go somewhere else for their holidays?'. The TripAdvisor complaint also comes as a British holidaymaker branded her holiday in Corfu a 'nightmare' because there was 'no English food' available on her trip. The pensioner paid £750 for the holiday but blasted the hotel's dining options, insisting 'there was no food we could eat and we couldn't have anything to drink' Susan Edwards set off on a seven-night, all-inclusive holiday to the Lido Corfu Sun Hotel on the Greek island with her family last month but claimed the trip was 'horrendous from the minute we got there'. The 69-year-old paid £750 for the holiday but blasted the hotel's dining options, insisting 'there was no food we could eat and we couldn't have anything to drink'. On the first morning, she could have 'toast, a hard boiled egg or something in sauce. There was no bacon.' The next day's breakfast was 'mozzarella and sliced tomatoes. There was no hot bacon or sausage.' Thankfully, 'we got chips one day' but only 'one day out of the whole lot'. 'There was fish, sardines and rice - I was sick to death of looking at rice,' Ms Edwards, from Westerhope, said. 'There was pasta and salads, none of this was marked. 'One night there was a Greek night and they had kebabs, I couldn't eat that. 'It's the worst holiday I've ever been on.' The drinks on offer at the all-inclusive included wine, lager, ouzo, or brandy as well as soft drinks. Bottled water cost €1.50, Ms Edwards claimed, who was travelling with her cousins, aged 77 and 78, her daughter, 30, and second cousin, 50. But the pensioner does not like ouzo and does not drink brandy - so did not enjoy a single drink on her holiday, she claimed. She explained that she would normally drink bottled lager or one Bacardi and Coke, but this would have cost her €9. 'By the time we paid £750 for the holiday, Euro 70 tourist tax for me and my daughter and an extra £450 for both of our meals, I could have been to the Caribbean on that', the furious tourist said. The Lido Corfu Sun Hotel have said Ms Edwards claims are 'inaccurate, exaggerated, and in many cases entirely false information'.
BreakingNews.ie
2 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Greta Thunberg arrives in Paris after being deported from Israel
Activist Greta Thunberg has arrived in Paris after being deported from Israel on Tuesday and called for more action to support aid efforts for Gaza. Speaking upon arrival at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport, Ms Thunberg called for the release of the other activists who were detained aboard the Freedom Flotilla. Advertisement She described a 'quite chaotic and uncertain' situation during the detention. The Swedish activist said the conditions they faced 'are absolutely nothing compared to what people are going through in Palestine and especially Gaza right now'.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The length-boosting haircare trio saving holiday hair from sun, sea and chlorine - and you can get 20% off with our exclusive code
If hot weather, frequent dips in the sea and extra-strength chlorine swimming pool dunks tend to leave your hair looking and feeling worse for wear on holiday, then you'll want to snap up this three-piece UKHAIR haircare collection from top-selling lash growth brand UKLASH. Ideal as your full summer hair health collection, the UKHAIR Mini Hair Care Essentials kit has everything you need to keep hair healthier, longer and fuller on the go – even if you're travelling with hand luggage only. UKHAIR The Mini Hair Care Essentials £15.60 (save £3.90) Featuring 50ml versions of the brand's top-selling haircare essentials – the Shampoo, Conditioner and Repair Mask, this all-bases-covered collection has been designed to lay the groundwork for growth and hair health, delivering longer, stronger and healthier-looking hair. Designed for supercharged hair growth, bond-building and incredible repair, each product in this three-piece collection has been designed to target hair in need of some TLC. Shop UKHAIR Hair Growth Serum 30ml £23.20 (save £5.80) Ideal as the final step is the routine, the wildly popular Hair Growth Serum has been enriched with ingredients like protective AnaGain™, turmeric to give your scalp a regenerative surge and lemon fruit water to encourage growth. Results are impressive: 95 percent saw a reduction in hair loss while 85 percent agreed that their regrowth improved. Shop If heading on holiday often means leaving your usual haircare routine at home then this Mini Hair Care Essentials kit from UKHAIR should be the first thing you pack in your luggage The best part? You can score this must-have collection today for 20 per cent less with our exclusive MailOnline discount code DM20OFF. But you'll have to be quick, as this unmissable deal is only valid for 24 hours. If heading on holiday often means leaving your usual haircare routine at home then this Mini Hair Care Essentials kit from UKHAIR should be the first thing you pack in your luggage. Featuring 50ml versions of the brand's top-selling haircare essentials – the Shampoo, Conditioner and Repair Mask, this all-bases-covered collection has been designed to lay the groundwork for growth and hair health, delivering longer, stronger and healthier-looking hair. 'People often book in to see me at the clinic after they've been on holiday or come back from travelling as a change in environment can really wreck your hair,' writes Trichologist, Kate Holden MIT. 'Being able to maintain your haircare routine while away means that you don't randomly buy the cheapest product in a pharmacy, which tends to be harsher on the hair and exacerbates damage that your hair could be experiencing from chlorine, hard water and seawater, as well as UV and pollution.' So, if you're loving the full-size UKHAIR haircare collection at home or have simply been desperate to try it out before committing to full size, then the Mini Hair Care Essentials kit is going to be the holiday hair saviour you've been looking for. But what makes the collection so special? Studies show that exposing your hair to Chlorine, especially in combination with sun exposure, can cause a colour change and significant damage to the hair follicle, leaving it feeling weak, brittle and damaged. The Mini Haircare Essentials Set can help restore your hair to full health and rebuild the Keratin content in your hair, which makes up 80-85% of our hair follicles. From removing chlorine residue and cleansing the scalp to replenishing lost hydration and restoring strength and shine, this small-but-mighty trio leaves sun, sea and swimming pool damage in its wake. Designed for supercharged hair growth, bond-building and incredible repair, each product in this three-piece collection has been designed to target hair in need of some TLC, delivering healthier, thicker hair fast. While the Shampoo offers a powerful formula that works to cleanse and clarify the scalp, the Conditioner nourishes and hydrates, helping to protect and strengthen the hair follicle and create the perfect environment for growth. The Repair Mask delivers a deep conditioning treatment that uses bond-building technology to repair and restore the Keratin bonds in the hair follicle, leaving your hair feeling stronger, hydrated and healthier. And if you need any more proof that this trio is a must-have, Trichologist, Kate Holden MIT, had this to say when noting her opinion of products that were really worth the buy. 'I'd recommend investing in a good deep conditioning treatment, such as the UKHAIR by UKLASH Repair Mask. 'Its innovative bond-building technology can make a huge difference in rebuilding the protein content in your hair, making it smoother and stronger.' Alongside the UKHAIR Hair Growth Serum, which also comes in a travel-friendly 30ml size, you can leave holiday hair disasters in the past and enjoy that at-home hair even from away with UKHAIR. Ideal as the final step in your haircare routine, the UKHAIR Hair Growth Serum is a lightweight and non-greasy serum packed with natural ingredients like protective AnaGain™, turmeric to give your scalp a regenerative surge and lemon fruit water to encourage growth. These ingredients work together to promote healthier hair growth while repairing and protecting the hair follicles, showing a 95 per cent reduction in hair loss and 85 per cent hair growth in just a matter of months. Ready to make your holiday man your healthier and most gorgeous yet? Snap up the UKHAIR Mini Hair Care Essentials kit and Hair Growth Serum today and transform your hair. Plus don't forget to use code DM20OFF at checkout for a whopping 20 per cent off. But you'll have to be quick, as this unmissable deal is only valid for 24 hours.
