Four underrated islands in Europe
While tourists often flock to Santorini and Mallorca, a lot of Europe’s most compelling islands remain largely overlooked – and that’s not a bad thing! These four destinations offer authentic experiences that are rooted in either unique geology or untouched history.
Madeira – Portugal’s volcanic garden
Madeira’s 15th-century levada system is one of Europe’s most sophisticated pre-industrial hydraulic engineering achievements. Okay, that may not be the main reason to go (unless you’re an engineer), but it tells a broad story of an innovative volcanic island.
The island’s unique ecosystem has various endemic species like Madeiran long-toed pigeon and over 760 vascular plant species. The volcanic mountains with its maritime climate makes it the perfect place for hikes. Orbis Ways walking holidays make good use of these levada paths so visitors can access microclimates that quickly go from subtropical coastal zones to more temperate highland environments. Though, the toboggan wicker sledges are a traditional way to get public transport down hill – and it’s very fun.
Azores – Geothermal biodiversity
The Azores sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge triple junction. In layman’s terms, this is where Eurasian, North American, and African plates all come together. This tectonic positioning generates ongoing volcanic activity and incredible geothermal fields that are used for both energy production and traditional cooking. Furnas Valley’s subsurface temperatures are up to 200°C just two meters down – cozido das Furnas is a regional stew cooked underground for six hours using natural steam.
The famous twin lakes have volcanic forces are still shaping the islands to this today. They were formed when an ancient volcano collapsed inward, and the crater now holds two connected lakes – it’s a big attraction for those who know about it, but the Azores remains strangely underexplored, particularly given the plethora of thermal springs.
Gotland – Sweden’s medieval island
Gotland’s is another interesting island geologically. It was formed 400 million years ago from Silurian limestone. It was originally in tropical seas, which is what makes it sometimes seem out of place today in Northern Europe.
Visby is actually the best-preserved medieval city in Northern Europe. It has 44 original towers and 13th-century walls surrounding its streets – they’ve not changed layout since the Hanseatic League’s heyday. It’s extraordinary because when the League collapsed, Gotland actually became too poor to modernize, so it accidentally protected its buildings from being demolished and rebuilt. Today, in historically-driven tourism, it’s now its best asset.
Farmers still graze sheep on common lands because of these old rights granted in medieval times. So each August, Medieval Week transforms the city into a living historical experience – participants don period clothing and the entire city operates as it did 700 years ago.
Bornholm – Denmark’s artistic gem
Bornholm balances old and new very delicately. Traditional smokehouses are still used to prepare herring with old school methods passed down through generations, while new restaurants reinterpret these techniques with modern approaches.
It’s an island worth visiting for cyclists in particular due to its comprehensive cycling network that runs through historical sites – around 235 kilometers worth – and shows off the cliff-top ruins of Hammershus castle all the way to its inland forests.
These islands each have their own authentic European experience, either deriving from stunning geography or a preserved culture. The benefit of visiting islands is that they’re often time capsules, detached from commercialisation.
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