12 Island Destinations With Less Crowds Than Their Famous Neighbors

6. Azores, Portugal - Atlantic Paradise Beyond Madeira's Fame

While Madeira attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually with its subtropical gardens and levada walks, the Azores archipelago offers a more diverse and dramatic Atlantic island experience with significantly fewer crowds and a stronger connection to authentic Portuguese culture. This chain of nine volcanic islands, located roughly 1,000 miles west of mainland Portugal, presents a unique blend of European sophistication and untamed natural beauty, where visitors can experience everything from thermal hot springs and crater lakes to whale watching and world-class hiking, all while enjoying the warmth and hospitality of local communities that have maintained their traditional ways of life. São Miguel, the largest island, showcases the Azores' volcanic origins through spectacular features like the twin lakes of Sete Cidades, where blue and green waters sit side by side in an ancient caldera, and the geothermal valley of Furnas, where visitors can witness bubbling hot springs, fumaroles, and even enjoy meals cooked underground using volcanic heat. The archipelago's position in the Atlantic makes it a crucial stopover for migrating whales and dolphins, offering some of the world's best marine mammal watching opportunities, while the surrounding waters provide excellent diving conditions with underwater volcanic formations, pristine reefs, and historic shipwrecks that remain largely unexplored by mainstream tourism. Each island in the Azores maintains its own distinct character and attractions, from the dramatic landscapes and natural swimming pools of Pico Island to the colorful town of Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira, a UNESCO World Heritage site that showcases centuries of Portuguese colonial architecture and maritime history, allowing visitors to create diverse itineraries that combine natural adventures with cultural discoveries while supporting local communities that depend on sustainable tourism practices.