Imagine hedgerows of blue hydrangeas; natural swimming holes carved in black lava rock; hot springs. Think cities with no polluted air and.nature reserves -- lots of nature reserves -- where the Regional Government protects flora and fauna. Imagine Ireland with volcanoes.

The Autonomous Region of the Azores, two hours from Lisbon; four and a half from Boston, is more than a little bit of Portugal way off shore. On the map it is south of Iceland; north of Madeira and the Canaries. Geologically, the nine islands scattered over 373 square miles of cold Atlantic Ocean are part of the European plateau, but native plant species are related to the preglacial flora of Europe. The climate is mild and humid all year; in some places the scenery is more like California.

Olives and bananas grow on Terceira. On Sao Miguel sweet pineapples are raised in greenhouses where smoke is pumped in to regulate blooming. Not far away on the same island, the only tea plantation in Europe grows, processes and packages a hearty brew. Chinese experts came by invitation in the 1850s when disease wiped out the orange trees, and British expatriate tastes prevailed.

Half the population (total: 237,000) lives on Sao Miguel, largest and wettest of the islands. The administrative center is Ponta Delgado (pop. 80,000), an 18th century city with cobbled streets and a seafront promenade bordered by monkeypod trees. The sculpture of an emigrant family stands on the plaza. In the 1970s Canada and the United States were the favorite destinations for Azoreans moving away -- they still call it "The American Decade."

Those were the most recent of many times when the Azores exported people to the New World. They chose southeastern Massachusetts; Rhode Island; central California; Toronto; Brazil. They liked islands: Maui; Bermuda; Nantucket. Now times are good, unemployment is under 4%, and many from the third generation of expatriates are coming home. Credit the European Union with introducing trade schools where students receive salaries while learning and 95 percent find employment. With 9000 new jobs created 1996-2000, workers have come from as far away as Greece and Lithuania. Many have stayed.

Driving west from Ponta Delgado in early June, the blue hydrangeas were just beginning to bloom, and the road was bordered with pink wild flowers called palmites. "Here we respect nature," tourist office guide Connie Amaral said, adding that it is illegal to move flowers to build a wall. Hydrangeas come in all colors including a rare dark green. On Sao Miguel they divide the fields in lieu of fences. Dried, they are exported to Spain. From March through May, the islands are bright with azaleas, often cut like box hedges. Camellias and begonias were introduced in the 18th century. White agapanthus is a traditional hair decoration for brides. There are 39 protected species of indigenous flora.

The Azores are among the world's youngest islands, and volcanic activity is ongoing. Furnas is a spa town, and at Lagoa das Furnas, underground ovens slow-cook "cozida," a one-dish meal of meat, chicken, sausage and vegetables. Beaches along Ribeira Quente (Hot River) are warmed by hot springs. Algar do Carvao is a national park where you descend more than 300 feet inside a volcanic chimney. Forty percent of the energy used on São Miguel is geothermal. At Capelhinos on the island of Faial, the landscape is raw post-eruption (1957-8), and the road leads past the rooftops of houses buried in ash. Everywhere the soil is red and full of iron pyrite.

"We have no snakes, wolves, tarantulas or mosquitoes," Amaral said. She is wrong about the mosquitoes, but there are fewer than might be expected and no screens on hotel windows. Wild pets are forbidden, though the woods are said to be full of feral house cats, and the "Azorean dog" is a wolf-like breed trained to attack and responsive only to the voice of its master. The year-round rabbit season brings hunters from Lisbon.

Each island has an informal descriptive name. Sao Miguel is "The Green Island;" volcanic Pico is "The Black Island;" Terceira is "The Lilac Island," Graciosa, "The White Island," Faial "The Blue Island." The archipelago was named "Acores" by explorers in the early 1400s for the goshawk, a sparrow hawk, but it was a mistaken identification. The birds seen were buzzards.

In winter, there is skiing on the slopes of Pico, a dormant strata volcano where, in summer, hikers must register in case a sudden enveloping fog cut off their passage. Pico Island wines have improved greatly under EU insistence on quality and the forming of self-policing cooperatives. The vineyards of Pico Island are designated a UNESCO World Heritage site for their tiny grape corrals built of dry stone hundreds of years ago to protect the vines from salty sea winds.

The central zone of Angra do Heroismo, capital of Terceira Island, is a UNESCO World Patrimony site. The architecture including churches, palaces and fortresses goes back nearly to the Period of Discoveries, that is, 15-17th century. Early town planning laid out the streets geometrically in the historical section near the waterfront, and the city museum is in an ancient convent.

Until 1986, whaling was a prime industry. Whale watchtowers (also useful for spotting pirates) still dot the coastline, and there are old boiling vats on the beach at Negretos, Terceira. Azorean whalers used only small boats so were recruited by Nantucket and New Bedford captains for their fearless agility. Today scrimshaw is carved on bones brought up by divers, and tourists take whale and dolphin watching tours.

Azoreans like to call their islands "Europe's Last Paradise," but Paradise has its problems. Unregulated farming led to deforestation, soil erosion and mudslides. EC strict environmental legislation is pushing the laid-back Azoreans to action, but so far the laws are rarely enforced. Fishermen still openly use nets, and there is continuing need to protect inland water resources. Due to run-off fertilizer and animal waste Fire Lake is the only body of water safe for swimming. This is an order of magnitude for the Regional Secretary of the Environment, an office created in 2000, but Azoreans are with him, in spirit at least.

Azorean dairy farms, cooperatives since 1975, provide mainland Portugal with one-third of its milk and milk products, and free of BSE, the milk may be exported anywhere in the world. Azorean cheeses (especially the creamy cheese of Pico) are excellent. Like the sweet pineapples, they are sold at the airport to departing visitors.

Courtesy and the sense of community are strong in the Azores. There is little street crime, and when I asked what to do if I needed help -- say, running out of gas away from a town -- I was told. "Just knock on any door." It can't get any better than that.

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