The Hawaii of Europe is a tourist-free idyll of hiking trails and hot springs

The deafening roar of Salto do Cagarrão waterfall swallows all other sound in the vicinity – including my involuntary yelp as I slip into the ice-cold pool at its base. Once my eyes acclimatise to the spray, every shade of green tessellates: the tumble of emerald water, lime moss along the slimy rocks, the dark flora-carpeted canyon. Little wonder São Miguel is nicknamed Ilha Verde, or Green Island. This swim is my reward for making it to the end of a two-hour hike spent scrambling across stony streams, up dirt paths that crumble away to unnervingly sheer drops, and ducking under fallen tree trunks whose roots have been yanked up by frequent storms. It is one of many hikes on this island – the largest of the nine that make up Portugal’s Azores archipelago – where I see barely another human. While there is evidence of maintenance – the odd boardwalk being absorbed by the mud – it feels like human intervention is fighting a losing battle against nature, in the best way. On this remote Atlantic island, amid the Jurassic-like vegetation, you truly are off the beaten track. The writer enjoying the Azores If Madeira has asserted itself as a destination for cruises and luxury escapes, the Azores is its more untouched, remote and rugged sister, popular with adventure seekers. The black rocky shores and lush Macaronesian flora have earned it comparisons to Hawaii, and its popularity is ramping up: in 2025, the archipelago received 1.3 million visitors, a 3.8 per cent increase from 2024. By comparison, Madeira welcomed a record-breaking 1.9 million visitors in the first nine months of 2025 alone – up nearly 10 per cent from the previous year. After picking up my rental car, wired from a brutal 6am flight from Lisbon, where I live (mercifully just a two-and-a-half hour hop), I head straight to a miradouro (viewpoint) on the west side of the island to take a look at the Lagoa das Sete Cidades (Lagoon of Seven Cities). One of the twin crater lakes at the bottom of the dormant volcano is cerulean, the other a vibrant bottle green. A quarter of São Miguel’s territory is protected, including two nature reserves, three natural monuments, Lagoa do Fogo, Sete Cidades, and the Pico da Vara area. It is no surprise, then, that nature lovers and hiking enthusiasts flock here. Gazing down from the dizzying height of the miradouro, only birds swoop into the chasm – there is not a single building cluttering the shoreline or boat cutting through the still water. Miradouro da Ponta do Sossego (Photo: Francesco Riccardo Iacomino/Getty) Over the course of four days, I try to explore as much of the island as I can. A car is not just a recommendation but a necessity. Buses are few and far between and don’t give access to the hidden nooks and crannies – lined with vibrant purple, blue and white hydrangea hedges in summer – that make the trip so memorable. I don’t need a car to get to the port in Ponta Delgada, the archipelago’s capital. It is just a stone’s throw from my holiday apartment in the city centre, and the starting point for a boat trip. I am hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the many whales – blue, sperm and orcas – that are regularly sighted off the island’s coast during their migratory period from spring to summer. In 2024, the Azorean government approved legislation to create the largest marine protected area network in the North Atlantic, covering 30 per cent of Azorean waters. While there are no whales to be seen, I am delighted to watch pods of common and bottlenose dolphins leaping out of the water. The intense geothermal activity in São Miguel is showcased in mineral-rich springs and thermal pools. After spending one day exploring Lagoa do Fogo, a crater lake in the Água de Pau Massif, I move on to the botanical gardens of Furnas, finishing at Poça da Dona Beija, beautiful stone baths seemingly plonked in the middle of the jungle. Amid the geothermic steam, bathing in the 39°C water is heaven. The cliffs of Sao Miguel Island (Photo: Francesco Riccardo Iacomino/Getty) Fellow Lisboetas had raved to me about the food and as well as a unique landscape, the Azores is home to a cuisine of its own, which tends to be heartier and more rustic than that on the Portuguese mainland. A prime example is cozido das furnas, the island’s signature stew, loaded with a variety of meats and vegetables and cooked in a hole in the ground for up to eight hours by geothermal heat. This volcanic pressure cooker tenderises the meat and veg until they are melt-in-the-mouth morsels. When I tuck in at Restaurante Tony’s, the succulent pork and salty chouriço have a sulphuric undertone, while the smoky yams practically dissolve on my tongue. At Tasca do Costa, in the cobbled village of Nordeste, the grilled octopus on charred peppers, cinnamon-spiced potatoes and orange slices, is unbelievably flavoursome. One afternoon I head to Chá Gorreana, the oldest tea plantation in Europe, sipping its light, mineral green teas and strolling among its verdant terraced rows, which look out over the sea. For every mile of rolling green hills in São Miguel, you can bet on a dozen or more cows grazing on its surface. Understandably, the Azoreans are proud of their cattle and their cheese – the best-known in the Azores is pungent São Jorge, which cuts a nutty and buttery texture with a sharp aftertaste. Lounging in the Azores (Photo: turismodeportugal.pt) At cheese factory and restaurant Queijaria Furnense, I try the popular chocolate-cheese bonbons, which come in varieties such as white chocolate and raspberry, Nutella, and ricotta and pineapple. They are creamy and rich, while the cheese taste is, thankfully, neither pungent nor perceptible. The only time my trip feels remotely touristy is hiking to the Grota do Inferno (Hell’s Cave) viewpoint, in the west of the island, where crowds queue to take photos, often jumping the protective barriers to get the best shots. But a 20-minute drive later, at Plantação Ananases A Arruda pineapple farm, I am alone again, enjoying tangy pineapple sorbet and spoonfuls of sticky upside-down cake. Some of the Lisboetas I’d asked about the Azores had responded with a chuckle that it was both expensive and inconvenient. While my return, off-season flight from Lisbon cost €150 (£130), fares from the UK can be high in the summer, particularly since Ryanair ended its services to the archipelago in March. However, once you are on São Miguel, there is good value to be had. My Airbnb apartment, which has its own kitchen, living room and private garden – as well as a communal hot tub, sauna and gym – cost €260 (£224) for three nights. And hiking the many trails is, of course, free. Day-to-day expenses can be low – especially if you seek out local favourites. One of my stand-out meals is at Rulote Vamos ao Vadim, a roadside stop in Ribeira Grande, where a shoestring chip-loaded hotdog and cold Sagres beer costs just €5 (£4.30). As my time in the Azores draws to an end, I feel a little frustrated that I haven’t had a chance to visit the other islands, such as Flores or Pico, which are accessible only by air from Ponte Delgado. São Miguel has a tranquil, dreamlike quality I imagine is even more pronounced on its smaller, more remote, trickier-to-reach neighbours. I tell myself there’s always next time – and here, time goes slow. When I do return, I imagine everything will still be waiting, unchanged. Getting there Azores Airlines and British Airways operate seasonal (generally May-October) flights from London to Ponta Delgada. TAP Air Portugal flies via Lisbon. Where to stay Monaco Suites & Garden has two-person apartments from €148 (£128) for two nights. More information visitazores.com