The Portuguese archipelago is one of the safest European destinations to travel to with natural social distancing
Nine emerald islands, of such a brilliant and intense green that it is hard to believe it is real, magical strips of land in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, a wild and surprising archipelago on the borders of Europe. The Azores islands are this and much more, extraordinary destinations that allow you to travel safely and, above all, in the name of social distancing.
We are in Portugal, one of the countries that can be reached from Italy for tourism according to current legislation. But not only that, we are on islands that are far from everything, halfway between the Americas and Europe, where the rules for containing the spread of Covid-19 are less rigid than in the rest of the old continent, and in which mass tourism has not yet arrived.
Traveling to the Azores means taking a real dive into the most authentic and wild nature that exists, leaving behind all the frustrations (or almost all) related to the virus. In these parts, in fact, most activities take place outdoors and daily infections are almost absent: away with the mask when you are outdoors, and away with dinners at restaurants even in the evening.
Freedom, the Azores are real freedom. And the reason is quite simple: the Coronavirus seems to have left them immaculate and everything in these islands seems truly filled with infinite spaces. It is no coincidence that every wonder to visit leaves you a feeling of incredible amazement, as if everything were still completely unexplored by man.
However, getting there is currently cumbersome: there are no direct flights from Italy, you need to show up a negative molecular test for Covid-19 within 72 hours of arrival, undergo another test on the sixth day of your stay, and complete a questionnaire always within 72 hours of travel. But not only that, being an autonomous area compared to Mainland Portugal, it is necessary to fill in self-declarations and formats that also issue QR codes for Portugal itself. In short, there are various steps to follow, but once you reach your destination, in addition to perceiving a absolutely thrilling beauty, we feel safe, to the point of almost forgetting that beyond the blue of the sea and the sky there is a world trying to combat a violent pandemic.
And then off to enjoy the climb of Mount Pico with its 2.351 meters of height and through a path that makes its way between the steep sides of the volcano where low shrubs, grass and rocks live. A journey out of the ordinary and with a difference in altitude of more than 1000 meters until reaching the Piquinho, a real lava cone. But not only that, Pico is also the island where you can spot whales jumping in the ocean and where you can also taste excellent wine among its vineyards, a UNESCO world heritage site.
Or you can head towards Faial where, in full compliance with social distancing, you can admire the incredible ones lunar landscapes of Capelinhos which emerged following an eruption in 1957. Corners of our continent characterized by a spectacular caldera, that is, a depression of very dark rock, which offers one of the most surprising panoramas of all the Azores.
You can also head to the very elegant and green Island of São Jorge. Suffice it to say that here you can venture on one of the most spectacular treks of all the islands among heather bushes and dense endemic vegetation, until you arrive on a beautiful stretch of lush coast that falls into the blue Atlantic Ocean.
And lastly, but this depends on the time you have available, you can fly to São Miguel (Azores) where you can indulge in the beauties of Furnas lake, dotted with fumaroles. Or the natural park of Ribeira dos Caldeirões, where you can let yourself go among very green forests and waterfalls that seem silver-coloured, without forgetting the tea plantations of Gorreana, the only ones in Europe, and the trekking in the region of Sete Cidades, with a breathtaking view from the top of the Miradouro da Grota do Inferno, and from the more popular Miradouro do Rei, where you can observe the volcanic lakes of the Lagoa das Sete Cidades.
Finally, we can conclude this extraordinary journey (where the social distancing is natural) in one of its many spectacular spas like those of Caldeira Velha, splendid natural geothermal pools immersed in the most luxuriant forest.
In short, from the sky to the depths of the ocean, the trip to the Azores will be a journey full of adventure, social distancing and safety.
Source: iStock
