Portugal is definitely the hot flavor for Europe travel in 2017. I recognized its sparkle all the way back in 1998.

The Algarve is no longer a hidden secret, or budget, destination in Europe, but the Azores is and it sounds just as divine.

The Azores is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the mid-Atlantic 800 miles off the coast of Portugal.

Breathtaking landscapes, volcanoes, crater lakes, fishing villages, and waterfalls are waiting for you. No wonder UNESCO listed the Abores a Biosphere Reserve in 2009.

The Azores has been referred to as Europe’s answer to Hawaii. Out of this list of destinations in Europe on a budget, this is the most exciting to me.