Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal

Marvel at the natural gifts of São Miguel Island, a spectacular Azorean island shaped by volcanic activity and carpeted from shore to shore with lush vegetation. At the Lagoa das Sete Cidades’s twin lakes, uncover the romantic tale of a star-crossed couple, a princess and a shepherd, whose tears of heartbreak created the two adjoining yet differently hued lakes, each the color of one of the lover’s eyes. Stroll among stately Baroque buildings in marvelous Ribeira Grande, and then ascend to Pico do Carvão for glorious views of the entire island.

While traveling through São Miguel’s verdant valleys, you might taste the bounty of the island at a flourishing pineapple or tea plantation, or for a more exhilarating experience seek out the spouting geysers and hot springs that dot the Furnas Valley. Go off the beaten track on a 4x4 vehicle through the stunning Serra de Água de Pau mountain range, reveling in picture-perfect vistas of the shimmering Lagoa do Fogo, or Fire Lake. From its dramatic shoreline to its soaring peaks, São Miguel Island never ceases to astonish.