Azores

Pocket-sized and in full colour, this guide describes three car tours on Sao Miguel and one each on Terceira and Faial; all highlight places where you can stop for a walk or just a stroll to a lovely picnic setting. There is an accompanying fold-out touring map. But the major part of the book is devoted to 30 main walks and their many variations, spread over all nine islands, and all illustrated with large-scale topographical maps (1:50,000). The Azores archipelago is a paradise for lovers of natural landscapes. There are awe-inspiring mountains (like Pico, the highest in Portugal), peaceful valleys with exotic plants, enchanting lakes of stunning beauty amidst extinct volcanic craters, charming hill country with fields and meadows, spectacular hydrangea hedges criss-crossing the landscape, and magnificent coasts lined by picturesque villages and historical towns. Several tour operators now offer charter flights to the islands. The 'Landscapes' series, with 50 destinations, has been dubbed 'the blue Bibles' by the Sunday Times; Sunflower has been named a Which? Recommended Provider of Guidebooks.