Luxury dog-friendly hotels in the Azores, Portugal

The Azores islands – an archipelago of nine volcano-born atolls – are home to pristine peaks and azure lakes. Nature is certainly in abundance, but there’s a rich cultural heritage here too. Welcoming locals will happily recount island stories over a home-cooked stew (often baked for five hours in the volcanic grounds) and a glass of Azorean wine. There’s enough on the atolls to keep you busy, but we’d recommend a spot of island hopping to see the best of each – all while fitting in hiking, biking, diving, whale-watching, canyoning, coasteering and surfing.