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Portugal has skyrocketed in popularity and is now a travel hotspot. But while Lisbon is bustling, there are still some places you can visit to escape the crowds.
The Azores are sometimes called ‘the Hawaii of Europe’, and you only have to take one look at their lush greenery and incredible beaches to know why.
You will be amazed by the beautiful display of colors here.
In June alone, 477,000 tourists visited the Azores. The biggest source of those travelers? The United States of America!
19.7% of tourists in the Azores came from the US
Here’s why these breathtaking Portuguese islands are becoming extremely popular among American travelers:
Easily accessible from the US
The Azores are a volcanic island chain 1,400 km west of Lisbon, halfway across the Atlantic Ocean between Portugal and the US.
So proximity is a factor in the Azores’ popularity among American travelers.
This makes the flight time reasonable and makes flights accessible.
From New York and Boston you can fly directly to Ponta Delgada (PDL) – the main airport of the islands.
Flying from Boston for a week from October 4 to 11 on Azores Airlines costs $1,625 round-trip and the flight time is 5 hours there and 5 hours and 40 minutes return.
It is much cheaper to fly from New York, with flights on the same dates costs $596 for a return with Azores Airlines. The flight time is 5 hours 55 there and 6 hours 5 minutes on the return journey.
When you reach the islands, renting a car is one of the best ways to get around.
If you want to explore more than one of the 9 main islands during your trip, don’t worry. On some routes, including the most famous Pico-Faial-São Jorge triangle, you can take your rental car on the ferry.
Discover the outdoors
The Azores are a great holiday destination for outdoorsy people.
Hiking, walking, climbing: if immersing yourself in the local environment is your idea of the perfect holiday, then this is the place for you!
Portugal’s highest mountain, Mount Pico, is located in the Azores and attracts serious climbers.
However, hiking is the main tourist attraction here: all islands have their own hiking trails.
And hiking is the best way to see the volcanic lagoons the islands are best known for.
Some of the best hiking trails include the Caldeirão Trail, which offers epic views, and the Agrião Trail, which takes you to one of the island’s most epic waterfalls.
Another great outdoor activity here is spending time on the beach.
This is not an obvious destination if you are looking for a typical fly-and-flop holiday. But that doesn’t mean you won’t find beautiful beaches in the Azores.
There are some black sand beaches and some places where locals jump into the ocean from the rugged rocks of the island itself.
A popular spot is Fajã Grande on the west coast of the island of Flores.
Many residents have a second home here in the summer. The beach itself is a small stretch of black sand, but the facilities are excellent and it is a safe place to swim in the ocean.
The most popular beaches on the islands are Praia dos Mosteiros, just 30 km from Ponta Delgada.
Local surfers hang out here, and this is another black sand beach that only adds drama to the rugged appearance.
However, this is only for experienced surfers. If you surf as bad as me, leave your board behind and pack your swimmers, because the waves crash on the rocks here.
Incredible animal encounters
The Azores are also a great place to experience incredible animal encounters.
One of the most incredible and iconic of these is the chance to go on a whale watching tour. Futurismo Azures adventures offers half-day excursions to see these majestic creatures from Ponta Delgada.
The trip costs 65 euros per person.
This tour company has a 99% success rate and will offer you another trip if you don’t see any cetaceans during your tour.
Although the islands are home to exceptional bird and plant life, what is most exciting for animal lovers is what is in the waters surrounding them.
Sperm whales, blue whales, fin whales, beaked whales, pilot whales, dolphins, hawksbill turtles and manta rays all call the waters around the Azores home.
So one of the best things you can do when visiting the islands is get on a boat and explore the islands!
Because of this abundance of marine life, snorkeling and diving are also popular in the Azores. CW Azores offer 2-hour snorkeling tours from Pico for 49 euros ($54) per person.
Although more expensive (175 euros ($192) per person, you can also take a full-day snorkeling tour to the Princess Alice site.
Known as one of the best diving spots in the world, this is located 70 km south of Pico Island.
Here you can snorkel with an abundance of Manta and Mobulas rays, an exceptional experience that you will not encounter anywhere else.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, and not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
