Wild beauty – natural paradise Azores

Kitzbühel | Issue 57 | Summer 2025 | Text: Barbara Schneeberger

In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, appx. 1400 kilometres from the coast of Portugal, lies Europe’s westernmost island paradise: the
Azores. This deep green archipelago comprises nine islands and fascinates visitors without end due to its year-round flora. Throughout the isles, whales and dolphins leap and dive in sportive play. Rocky cliffs forge the rugged coastlines, natural founts and deep-water springs spray and steam airward, unfathomable blue crater lakes, luscious-green mountains and meadows compose the multifaceted character of its untamed landscapes.

The islands can be wonderfully explored with a boat or by small airplanes of Azores Airlines. Accommodations are on offer in a wide palette of categories. Vacationers can immerse deep down into the history of the island group which has boasted the inimitable stamp of traders, merchants, discoverers and Portuguese emigrants for centuries. In a jiffy you can become acquainted with the regional customs, the traditions, the holy festivals, city parties, music and wine festivals.

The primordial creation of this archipelago hearkens back to a series of 1766 volcanoes, nine of which are still active today. This has generated conditions which make unparalleled surroundings and opportunities possible: for trekking, for biking tours, for golfing and equestrian sports. Dreams of relaxation are rewarded by thermal sources and natural water basins. The rare beaches suitable for swimming entice all those who seek a bit of peace and quiet, whereas out on the big waves the surfers, the divers, the sailors and the kayak lovers tumble about in search of their ecstasy, just like the dolphins and whales they cavort with.

The cuisine of the Azores is hefty, robust and authentic: fish caught fresh from the sea, the so-called “cozido das furnas” which is cooked in an earthen oven, tenderest of beef, regional wines and the sparkling “kima” – all are integral pieces in the culinary puzzle of the Azores.