The remoteness of the archipelago of the Azores in the North
Atlantic has saved the nine beautiful green islands, which belong
to Portugal, from becoming overdeveloped. International flights do
make their way to the Azores, which lie 907 miles (1,460km) from
the coast of Europe, west of Portugal, but as yet tourism has not
spoilt the traditional way of life of the islanders or marred the
magnificent natural attractions. Those who visit soon manage to
drop the words 'stress' and 'pollution' from their vocabulary, and
give in totally to enjoying the islands' year round subtropical
climate with mild temperatures and high humidity. The only concern
that might arise is the odd earth tremor: the islands are rather
geologically unstable and pitted with volcanoes and hot sulphur
springs. The 250,000 inhabitants seem unperturbed by this, however,
and go about their daily rounds much as their forefathers did
hundreds of years before. The daily business is generally
agricultural labour. The Azores is characterised by large tracts of
vineyards and farmland, sprinkled with little settlements of
whitewashed houses. The gently sloping hillsides are carpeted with
vineyards and fruit orchards. The coast of the islands is, in the
main, rather rugged, but there are bays and inlets with odd
stretches of white sand for swimming and sunbathing. Island hopping
is simple to achieve because all the islands are connected by ferry
and local air services.
