If you’re heading to Europe this summer, but you’ve had your fill of the usual Paris, London, Milan clichés, maybe it’s time you step off the beaten track already and explore Europe’s lesser-known, unspoiled islands.
Luckily, this year, getting to those no longer involves painfully long layovers at Frankfurt Airport, nor overnight ferries from major European ports like Rome.
From now through September, Americans can fly direct to 3 of the continent’s most epic island getaways, where it’s less about an endless checklist of sights to see and action-packed itineraries, and more about slowing down, feeling the ocean breeze, and actually soaking up all that Old World flair:
Terceira, Portugal
If you’re chasing that remote island feel, where even Europeans themselves rarely ever make it to themselves, Terceira is actually one of the shortest Transatlantic flights available this season.
This 54-square-mile landmass belongs to Portugal, but it’s actually a whole 930 miles west of the European country, in the middle-of-nowhere, proper wild archipelago known as the Azores. It’s best known for its combination of volcanic history, colonial history, and beaches that are virtually crowd-free.
The capital, Angra do Heroísmo was one of the first settled cities during the Portuguese Age of Exploration. An important hub for ships sailing between Europe and the Americas, particularly the former Portuguese colony of Brazil, it’s characterized by grand churches, colorful streets, and impressive forts.
It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, being the textbook example of a colonial-era Portuguese town.
And if you think this is a rugged, undeveloped island with limited accessibility, Terceira as a whole just happens to be one of the easiest Azorean islands to explore.
You can drive the entire coastal loop in about 3 hours, with lush-green scenery, lava fields, forests, and postcard beaches being within easy reach of Angra, where you should probably be based.
Must-See Attractions In Terceira, Portugal
- Algar do Carvão: one of the very few volcanic chimneys in the world you can actually go inside. The moss-covered cave truly feels like stepping into the Earth’s interior.
- Biscoitos: a peaceful coastal village where you can swim in natural swimming pools filled with crystal-clear waters. Just beware: this is the North Atlantic, not the Mediterranean. The water might be gelid even if it’s peak summer.
- Praia da Vitória: Terceira’s second-largest town, where you’ll find a long sandy beach and broad promenade, and a truly relaxed atmosphere. It’s the perfect contrast to Angra’s more historic, mid-size city feel.
- Furnas do Enxofre: a tourist-friendly boardwalk path that leads through steaming sulfur vents. The volcanic terrain here is truly dramatic, and it offers a rare glimpse of the island’s geothermal nature in action.
- Monte Brasil: the soaring volcano that looms over Angra. You can either drive or hike to several viewpoints that overlook the city and the Atlantic, and it’s particularly beautiful at sunset.
Fly Nonstop From The U.S. To Terceira, Portugal (TER)
Boston, Massachusetts (BOS) → Terceira, Portugal (TER)
- Airline: Azores Airlines (SATA International)
- Current status: year-round service
- Frequency: 1 roundtrip per week (always on Mondays)
- Typical aircraft: Airbus A321neo (about 190 seats, including Business Class)
- Outbound flight (BOS → TER): departs 9:40 p.m. | arrives 6:45 (+1 day)
- Return flight (TER → BOS): departs 5:05 p.m. | arrives 6:10 p.m. (same calendar date)
- Typical flight times: 5h05 outbound | 6h05 return
- Roundtrip Economy fare: $482–$531
San Francisco, California (SFO) → Terceira, Portugal (TER)
- Airline: TAP Air Portugal
- Current status: Seasonal service (usually from July through late September)
- Frequency: 1 roundtrip per week (typically Tuesdays)
- Typical aircraft: Airbus A330-900neo (about 298 seats, including Business Class)
- Outbound flight (SFO → TER): departs 7:20 p.m. | arrives 8:10 a.m. (+1 day)
- Return flight (TER → SFO): departs 1:00 p.m. | arrives 4:15 p.m. (same calendar date)
- Typical flight times: 9h50 outbound | 11h05 return Roundtrip
- Economy fare: $1,143–$1,850
*This route operates as a one-stop flight on the way to Lisbon (LIS). Passengers on the way to Lisbon generally remain on the same aircraft and keep the same flight number when the stop occurs.
Check Entry Requirements Before Flying To Europe This Summer
Europe has changed its entry rules this summer and it directly affects Americans, especially those who aren’t aware of the new regulations.
Only in the last few weeks alone, 44,000 travelers were denied entry to the European Union due to their lack of information on the new rules.
Don’t just ‘assume’ you know because you’ve been to Europe before. This is no longer 2021. Use the Entry Requirement Checker and double-check the required documentation well in advance to avoid the same fate.
Malta
As of this year, Americans can fly nonstop to one of the Mediterranean’s smallest nation-states. Malta is an archipelago comprised of three main islands: the main landmass that is Malta itself, its smaller, more rugged sister Gozo, and the uninhabited Comino.
Malta is clearly the star of the show here, as it is home to the national capital Valletta, Europe’s smallest capital city, and a maze of uphill lanes flanked by ornate covered balconies, Mdina, or the ‘Silent City’, a walled, medieval town dotted with limestone buildings, and Golden Bay.
A honey-colored, soft-sanded bay that unfolds along crystal-clear seas, it’s easily one of Europe’s prettiest beaches.
Over in Gozo, it’s all about chasing sunsets in uncrowded sandy coves, hitting up sleepy villages dominated by Baroque churches, and getting lost in the cobble-paved maze that is Victoria (or how the Maltese call it, Rabat), the island’s laid-back capital.
Comino can only be reached on guided tours or private chartered yachts, and though there are no permanent settlements there, it’s where you can swim in the most surreal turquoise waters you’ll ever see: the Blue Lagoon, Malta’s top coastal postcard.
Must-See Attractions In Malta
- Valletta: the smallest capital city in Europe, filled with Baroque domes and grand bastions. Don’t miss Saint John’s Co-Cathedral, a lavish gold-covered church housing the only painting of Caravaggio’s masterpiece, The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist.
- St Julian’s: the heart of Maltese nightlife. Your go-to spot for fun on a Friday night, thanks to its many bars, nightclubs, and youthful atmosphere.
- The Three Cities: a trio of towns sitting across from Valletta on the opposite side of the bay. Birgu (Vittoriosa) has limestone streets and a charming waterfront, Senglea (Isla) sits on a peninsula dotted with panoramic gardens, and Cospicua (Bormla) is surrounded by impressive fortifications.
- Marsaxlokk: the cutest fishing town on Malta, characterized by its colorful fishing boats (luzzus) and buzzing street markets.
- Gozo: Malta’s quieter, less developed sister. Smaller settlements yet to be touched by mass tourism, sandy bays, and the Ġgantija Temples, megalithic temples older than Stonehenge or the Egyptian pyramids.
- The Blue Lagoon: Comino’s main attraction, as well as Malta’s most sought-after swimming spot. A natural pool filled with turquoise waters.
Fly Nonstop From The U.S. To Malta (MLA)
New York (JFK) → Malta (MLA)
- Airline: Delta Air Lines
- Current status: Seasonal service (from early June through late October)
- Frequency: 3 round trips per week (typically Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays)
- Typical aircraft: Boeing 767-300 (about 225 seats, including Delta One Business Class)
- Outbound flight (JFK → MLA): departs 5:05 p.m. | arrives 8:20 a.m. (+1 day)
- Return flight (MLA → JFK): departs 10:45 a.m. | arrives 3:15 p.m. (same calendar date)
- Typical flight times: 9h10 outbound | 10h30 return
- Roundtrip Economy fare: $700–$1,400 (typical range; varies significantly depending on availability)
Malta Is One Of The Safest Countries In Europe
Side note, Malta is one of the top 4 safest European destinations worth splurging on this summer.
It scores an impressive 91 out of 100 on the Traveler Safety Index, placing it high among Europe’s safest countries, and the U.S. Department of State concurs with traveler reports: it’s officially a Level 1 destination, meaning Americans have little, if anything to worry about.
Sardinia, Italy
The second largest island in Italy, and one of the Mediterranean’s most-prized assets, Sardinia is hosting its first-ever Transatlantic flights this year.
Interestingly enough, it’s not Cagliari, Sardinia’s bustling southerly capital, that will be hosting Americans this season, but rather Olbia, a town in the north, considered the gateway to Costa Smeralda… which you can probably guess means ‘Emerald Coast‘.
That’s where some of Sardinia’s best beaches are, not your usual mix of sand-and-pebble and crystal-clear seas that look gorgeous enough, but aren’t exactly mind-blowing. We’re talking Caribbean-style strips of unruffled white sands and Gatorade-blue seas.
Think Spiaggia del Principe, a crescent of dazzling white sand framed by granite boulders, Capriccioli and its string of small coves that feel calmer and more exclusive the farther you walk from the main beach strip, and Liscia Ruja, a 1,600-foot stretch of sand lapped by electric-blue, shallow waters.
Costa Smeralda’s best-kept gem? That would be La Maddalena, an archipelago of paradisiacal islands just offshore that Italians themselves go to escape the Sardinian mainland crowds.
Cala Coticcio, on the tiny island of Caprera, has seas so turquoise it’s known as the ‘Tahiti of Italy‘.
Must-See Attractions In Sardinia (Costa Smeralda)
- Porto Cervo: the glamorous heart of Costa Smeralda, featuring a yacht-lined marina, luxury boutiques, and exceptional waterfront restaurants. Book a table at Ristorante Fior D’acqua for premium handmade pasta with seafood.
- Spiaggia del Principe: widely regarded as Costa Smeralda’s top beach. Powder-white sands, brilliant emerald water, and no advance reservation required, unlike other Sardinian beaches like Baunei and La Pelosa.
- San Pantaleo: a stone-built artists’ village with a distinct bohemian character. It’s anchored by a picturesque church tower and a boutique-lined main piazza.
- Santa Teresa Gallura: an up-and-coming resort town straddling the turquoise waters of Northern Sardinia. If you’re based in the area, you can hop on a 50-minute ferry to Corsica, the neighboring French island, and visit the iconic medieval village of Bonifacio, where weathered houses cling to eroding coastal cliffs.
- La Celvia: the quieter alternative to the famous Capriccioli. A small postcard-perfect cove backed by smooth granite boulders and hugged by glassy seas.
- La Maddalena Archipelago National Park: a short 20-minute crossing from Palau, this protected island group offers secluded beaches and some of the most translucent water in Sardinia. Caprera is a must-visit for Cala Coticcio, the ‘Tahiti of Italy’, and Garibaldi’s house.
Fly Nonstop To Sardinia (Olbia–Costa Smeralda) From The U.S.
New York → Olbia–Costa Smeralda
- Airline: Delta Air Lines
- Current status: Seasonal service (from late May through late September)
- Frequency: 4 round trips per week (typically Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays)
- Typical aircraft: Airbus A330-900neo (about 281 seats, including Delta One Business Class)
- Outbound flight (JFK → OLB): departs 7:35 p.m. | arrives 10:25 a.m. (+1 day)
- Return flight (OLB → JFK): departs 12:05 p.m. | arrives 3:05 p.m. (same calendar date)
- Typical flight times: 8h50 outbound | 9h00 return
- Roundtrip Economy fare: $700–$1,400
