The Azores is made up for nine islands created from volcanic activity and sit between the East Coast and mainland Portugal, about 800 miles off Portuguese land. Once a stopping off point for ocean voyagers, the Azores hosts visitors from all over the world looking for a unique vacation destination that offers all the great things about continental Europe, but with less fuss and muss. It's a haven for whale watchers and boaters, hikers and bikers, foodies and wine enthusiasts, and just about everyone in between. So what makes the Azores so great? There are about a million things, but here is a list of things you need to know, see and do:
Up Next: Easy To Get To

Sata Airlines operates an Azores Express out of Boston Logan, and it's only a four-hour plane trip -- just enough time for dinner and a movie. But the best part is the packages that are available to interested Azores travelers. With pricing starting at just $569, intrepid vacationers can nab themselves a plane ticket and one week's stay in one of the Azores' finer hotels -- like the four-star Hotel Do Canal in Horta on the island of Faial, for example. You can't beat that kind of deal!

Up Next: Family-Style Dining

Many of the dishes in the Azores are served in family portions, with one or two orders featuring enough food to share with all your friends. O Carrago on Almoxarife Beach in Faial features incredible slabs of fresh fish with vegetables and potatoes, either grilled or fried in olive oil. Kapote offers an eclectic mix of mains and appetizers, such as the sizeable portion of barnacles. (Don't wrinkle your nose -- they're good!) But Canto del Doca features a fun dining experience. Waiters bring a plate of uncooked food to your table. You're then presented with a hot basalt stone and a pair of tongs, and that's it -- you cook your own meal!
Up Next: Happy Cows

No matter what your dietary restrictions are, you have to make room to try two things -- Azores cheese and Azores butter. The country takes a lot of pride in its dairy offerings, and it shows... but it all begins with their cows. The Azores are overrun with Holstein cows, which outnumber humans and wander in open fields and pastures. Rather than corralling the cows in a barn for milking time, the farmers go to the cows with portable milking platforms. Rough life! The result is rich, creamery butter and melt-in-your-mouth island cheese, which you can see made at The Cheese Factory.
Up Next: Volcanoes

The nine islands that make up the Azores came into existence courtesy of various volcanic eruptions. On the island of Faial, one such volcano (Capelinhos) erupted so violently in 1957 that many Portuguese fled to the United States in fear for their lives. To get a real feel for the mass force of this volcano, try hiking up and around its dormant frame -- you'll get some breathtaking views. Meanwhile, across the bay on Pico is the highest point in all of Portugal. Hikers from all over the world are drawn to the challenge of taking on the 7,700-foot summit of this massive lava cone that rises from the see, and many of them accomplish the trek in three hours.
Up Next: Middle Earth

Okay, so maybe there are no Hobbits and you don't have to worry about Orcs, but nestled at the top of Faial sits the island's central Caldeira, a 300-foot crater that was formed by a volcanic eruption during the 1950s. There are two ways to experience the Caldeira -- first, by walking through a tunnel in the mountainside, which brings you to an opening where you'll feel like you?re stuck in a cyclone. The wind tends to collect in the mouth of the Caldeira and whips around! The second view comes courtesy of a trail that leads you up the side of the mountain to the lip of the Caldeira, where hikers can trek the outside edge of the crater.
Up Next: Blackberry Liquor

The Azores boast beautiful vineyards and multiple distilleries, making it a haven for those who love some spirit on their vacation -- and there's plenty to choose from. Pineapple liqueur is tasty, Fig Brandy isn't for the faint of heart, nor is the fennel... but the best of the bunch comes in the form of blackberry liqueur. Made with fresh blackberries and brandy, the liquor looks syrupy like cough medication, but goes down so smoothly that you barely know you're drinking alcohol.

Up Next: Whale Watching

Portugal used to have a huge whaling community, but that all came to a grinding halt in 1979 when whaling was outlawed. Today, thousands of people flock every year to the Azores to take part in whale watching excursions. Known as one of the top 10 whale watching sites, whale enthusiasts head out to sea in a small, semi-inflatable boat with a guide who communicates with several "spotters." Whale season usually runs from May to October, but even going during the off season gives you the opportunity to watch Bottle-nose and spotted dolphins in action.

Up Next: Lava Tubes

Visiting Pico and not trekking through its lava tubes is a travesty. After checking in at the front desk -- where you're encouraged to sign the guest book just in case they lose you (just kidding!) -- you join your guide and get fitted for a hardhat with a lamp to help you see. And then, the descent -- down a couple flights of stairs, along a pathway, and then you're in the middle of the lava tube. Your guide walks you through and points out all the formations, stalactites and stalagmites, and explains how the lava flowed to help create the majestic cave you're hiking through. Bonus points if you agree to turn off your headlamp when your guide dares you to!
Up Next: Geysers

The Terra Nostra Garden Hotel on Sao Miguel has an inventive take on lunch. Each morning they make up a stew with vegetables, sausage, beef and chicken, and drive it down to the geysers at Furnas Lake, where they bury them in the ground and allow the natural heat of the water to cook the meal. The entire operation takes six hours, but the result is an incredibly delicious and hearty meal! To help you digest, take a walk through the hotel?s botanical gardens, featuring lush greenery and koi fish ponds.

Up Next: Pineapple Plantations

You might think you know pineapples, and you probably do -- but Azorean pineapples are a different kind of animal than what you're used to. Because the Azores have such a mild climate, growing pineapples the traditional way didn't work. Instead, they developed a hothouse system that has expanded into 6,000 pineapple hothouses on Sao Miguel. Take a tour of one, and you'll understand what makes an Azorean pineapple taste so smoky and sweet.

Up Next: Tea Plantations

The Azores also feature the only tea plantations in Europe. The Gorreana estate on Sao Miguel is the home of delicious black, green and orange pekoe tea using leaves that are harvested from nearby crops between April and September. Take a tour of the facility, and buy some of the tea before you head for home.

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