An Island-y European Vacation
I’m a little late with this story…things have been somewhat hectic here and I haven’t been able to write my traditional post-vacation blog post, so here we go!
This winter, my family and I traveled to Portugal. We spent a few days in Lisbon (incredible fado music, fabulous sidewalks and hospitable people), Nazare (surfing town with record-breaking waves) and Porto (the gorgeous Douro river and beautiful colourful buildings), and then we flew over to the Azores, where our off-the-beaten-track trip truly began.
The Azores were unlike any terrain we have ever walked upon. Someone once accurately described them as a “European Version of Hawaii”, and I believe that is exactly what we experienced. This archipelago encompasses a total of 9 volcanic islands, each one with its own unique story to tell.
We hiked to unreal vistas almost every day, each evening to return to charming towns that could have been anywhere in Western Europe (narrow cobblestone streets, fantastic restaurants, historic structures, etc). We descended into lava tubes, climbed up to find crater lakes atop mountains, swam in natural hot spring pools at night, and tried all sorts of interesting foods. The Azores are also the only place in Europe where tea leaves are grown, so we were able to tour through the fields at the Gorreana Plantation and sit down for a delicious cup of tea afterwards.
The level of natural beauty that exists on these islands was astounding; even though we chose to go on long hikes to experience the breathtaking nature, one can honestly enjoy many sights that are easily accessible by car. So, if you are not fond of hiking, you still should go and visit this incredible country!
Definitely one of my family’s favorite trips.
Take a look at some photos with captions below!
