You could fly to California in five hours to escape the city. Or you could jet off to the Azores, a subtropical volcanic paradise off the coast of Portugal, in roughly the same amount of time.

A just-under-five-hour direct flight will take you to Sao Miguel, one of nine islands that make up the archipelago. Its hot springs, turquoise lakes and endless ocean views make it a no-brainer for a snappy but adventurous getaway from New York.

Tourists have set their sights on Portugal, in a big way. In recent years, capital Lisbon has become a popular destination for its food, beaches and European allure. Last year, Delta started offering daily flights from JFK direct to Azores capital Ponta Delgada (from $2,048), delivering a closer, cheaper, nature-filled destination to New Yorkers.

The number of tourists from the US to the Azores has grown from around 13,000 in 2014 to an estimated 70,000 in 2019, according to its tourism board.

Yet even with all the buzz, one can still find peaceful, solitary moments. I journeyed to the inside of Lagoa do Fogo, a volcanic crater filled with almost neon-colored blue water — with not a Yankee in sight. Later, I came upon the lush, mostly-isolated Caldeira Velha hot springs near closing time for a dip in its well-kept thermal pools.

More ambitious travelers may choose to take short flights to the Azores’ other islands. Pico and Terceira, for example, offer even more rural beauty, plus culinary draws such as aged cheese, coffee and wine. But with so many different ecosystems on Sao Miguel alone, from pastoral to beachy, this 287½-square-mile gem is worth at least a long weekend. For me, six days was almost not enough there.

To start, fly into Sao Miguel and rent a car (most options are manual) — public transportation isn’t exactly up to New York standards. A 10-minute drive from the airport is Ponta Delgada; its narrow, cobblestone streets offer a dose of quaint European urbanism before the open-air adventures to come.

My home base was the chic Casa Hintze Ribeiro Hotel (from $160), located on a bustling street with an excellent coffee roaster, Intz48. Within a couple blocks, you’ll find the two best restaurants. First, Taberna Açor, where you can order fried mackerel (an Azorean staple) or local steak, cooked on a hot stone on your table, along with wine from the neighboring islands. Next, everybody loves historic A Tasca, located in a former prison. It’s where you can get the monstrous Francesinha sandwich, made with steak, ham and smoked sausage, then covered with melted cheese and sauce.

Experience myriad aspects of local culture via guided tours, which can be perused and booked through AzoresGetaways.com. I followed my taste buds on an excursion through Ponta Delgada with Hungry Whales Tours, plus a cooking class with Maria Picnic, a charming Azorean who invites you into her home to cook traditional meals with food from the local market, Mercado da Graca. I highly recommend her Cozido picnic: stews full of meat, vegetables and the island’s special saffron, cooked, amazingly, underground in the thermal fields of Furnas, about 45 minutes away from Ponta Delgada, over the course of about five hours. She serves the stew with a picturesque spread of wine, bread and other goodies at a park nearby.

While you’re waiting, check out Furnas’ hot springs, scattered along Rua das Caldeiras, or soak in them at Poça da Dona Beija, a public bathhouse. For a snack, eat local cheese and Azorean passion fruit soda at Queijaria Furnense.

Yes, food in the Azores is heavy. But there’s also no shortage of physical activity to burn it off. The best way to see the island’s twin volcanic crater lakes, Sete Cidades, is via Picos de Aventura’s mountain bike tour, which picks cyclists up in Ponta Delgada. You’ll also work up an appetite after a 10-minute (and $9!) boat ride from Vila Franca do Campo to Ilhéu da Vila Franca, a small, crescent-shaped island off Sao Miguel’s south shore. There, swim in a cove protected from the Atlantic Ocean.

Don’t miss one of the island’s many natural pools, like the Complexo Municipal de Piscinas in Lagoa. The swimming holes are carved into the craggy black lava that lines the southern coast.

For sunset, head north to the surf-bum town of Santa Barbara. It’s a lot like the California idyll of the same name — except you’ll have spent five hours of air travel journeying to the Azores instead of the West Coast. Yup, it was the right decision.

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