EPIC FAIAL

The archipelago’s loyalty to the volcanic way of doing things means that it even has its own mini-Pompeii – the Farol dos Capelinhos, on Faial. Sixty-three years after the event – the eruption which engulfed the west side of the island in 1957 and 1958 – the lighthouse is still surrounded by a blanket of ash. It features in the self-guided eight-day “Faial and Pico” walking break offered by Explore.co.uk. From £780pp, flights extra.