The Acores – Portugal’s best-kept secret
The Acores are Portugal’s best-kept secret. These nine volcanic islands, located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, offer everything from stunning mountain views to pristine beaches. If you’re looking for a vacation that’s off the beaten path, then the Acores are definitely worth exploring! In this blog post, we’ll give you a breakdown of everything you need to know about planning a trip to the Açores. We’ll cover how to get to the islands, what to see and do there, and our top picks for beaches and restaurants. So read on for all the information you need to plan your perfect vacation in Portugal’s hidden gem!
The Açores are a volcanic archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. They’re about 1200 km from Lisbon, Portugal and 1000 km from the coast of North Africa. The islands were formed by volcanism caused by tectonic plates colliding with each other under Earth’s surface – which resulted in nine different islands being created over millions of years! The largest island is São Miguel (with an area of about 750 square kilometers) and it has two smaller ones nearby called Faial Island and Pico Island respectively; these small ones have only one town between them on their respective landmasses so we’ll focus our attention solely on São Miguel since there’s more going on there than anywhere else!
Island getaways are becoming increasingly popular and the Açores are no exception. With so many islands in such close proximity to one another, it’s easy to see why people flock here every year! So what makes these off-the-beaten-path destinations so appealing? For starters, they’re located just far enough away from mainland Europe that you’ll feel like you’ve truly escaped reality when visiting them (although there’s plenty of WiFi available if needed). Secondly – as mentioned above – volcanic activity has left behind some amazing sights on display throughout most parts of each island which means there will never be a dull moment while exploring all nine islands during your stay here because even though they might look similar at first glance from afar; up close you’ll see that each one is unique and has its own character. Finally, the locals are incredibly welcoming and always happy to help out visitors so you’re sure to make some new friends while on your trip!
So how do you get to the Açores? The easiest way is by flying into Ponta Delgada Airport (PDL) which is located on São Miguel Island – this airport serves as the main gateway for tourists visiting the islands. There are also a few other airports located on different islands but they usually only have domestic flights available. If you’re coming from outside of Europe, then chances are you’ll be flying into Lisbon first and will need to take a connecting flight to PDL; luckily there are many carriers that offer direct flights between Lisbon and Ponta Delgada (e.g., TAP Portugal, SATA Air Açores) so this shouldn’t be too difficult of an issue to resolve!
