Scattered across over 600km of ocean, rising from the seabed at the three-way meeting point of the North American, Eurasian and African tectonic plates, the nine volcanic islands of the Azores are pitted with ancient craters and collapsed cones, sculpted over many millennia by the wind and waves of the Atlantic. Incredibly, nature has adapted to thrive on the isolated islands of São Miguel, Terceira, São Jorge, Pico, Faial, Flores, Santa Maria, Graciosa and Corvo. Once-bleak lava flows are now lush with juniper and laurel forests, vineyards and rolling pastures, and studded with glimmering lagoons. Rugged bluffs and coves shelter thousands of plant and animal species, both above and below the waterline. Seabirds pause for much-needed refuelling stops on transoceanic migrations. Thriving reefs and seamounts host barracuda, grouper, rays, dolphins…
