The Azores: the Atlantic's green secret

Far out in the Atlantic, roughly midway between Europe and North America, lie the Azores, a remote archipelago of nine volcanic islands belonging to Portugal that offer some of the most dramatic and unspoiled landscapes in Europe, with a fraction of the crowds.

The islands are a paradise of green. Volcanic craters cradle serene lakes, hot springs bubble up amid lush forests, hydrangeas line country roads, and dramatic coastlines of black rock meet the deep blue of the ocean. The largest island, São Miguel, offers a concentrated sample, from the twin lakes of Sete Cidades to the steaming geothermal valley of Furnas, where food is cooked slowly in the volcanic earth.

The surrounding waters are among the best places in the world for whale and dolphin watching, with many species passing through, and the islands draw hikers, divers and those simply seeking tranquillity and nature.

The pace is gentle and the culture distinct, shaped by centuries of island life, seafaring and emigration. The food leans on fresh fish, local beef and cheeses, and the islands even produce their own tea and wine.

Still relatively under the radar despite growing attention, the Azores reward the traveller willing to venture off the beaten path with landscapes of rare beauty, a slow and restorative pace, and the increasingly precious feeling of discovering somewhere not yet overrun. They are, for now, one of the Atlantic's great green secrets.