With volcanic peaks, black-sand beaches and a hydrangea-fringed valley, is this hidden archipelago Europe’s answer to Hawaii?
Some say the Azores were named for the cerulean hues of the archipelago’s surrounding waters. Others speculate that from the viewpoints of ships at sea, the islands appear to be so lushly green – black volcanic rocks swallowed by vegetation – they look almost blue. Nine remote islands scattered in the middle of the Atlantic, 1300 kilometres west of Portugal and almost 4000 kilometres east of the United States, the Azores are Europe’s answer to Hawaii.
