The Azores archipelago has a rich and vast geodiversity, and an important geological heritage composed by several sites of scientific, educational and touristic interests. Given the insular nature of the region, the Azores Geopark is supported on a geosites network dispersed by the nine islands and the surrounding seafloor, i) that ensures the representativeness of the geodiversity that characterizes the Azorean territory, ii) that reflects its geological and eruptive histories, iii) with common conservation and promotion strategies, and iv) based on a decentralized management structure with support in all the islands. Volcanoes, calderas, lakes, lava fields, fumaroles, hot springs and thermal waters, volcanic caves, "fajãs", fault scarps and marine fossil deposits, among many others, are characteristic elements of the Azorean geological heritage. Beyond this heritage, there are other values of reference in the archipelago, such as its rich biodiversity and the architectural, cultural, ethnographic and immaterial heritages of undeniable value. Come, then, to know the Azorean volcanoes and enjoy an eruption… of Flavours, Smells and Experiences!
"Algar do Carvão" is a volcanic pit, on Terceira island, with a peculiar genesis, including both silicic formations (dated of 3,200 years B.P.) and basaltic products. This 90 m depth pit has a lake and exhibits stalactites and stalagmites o ...
The cliffs of the southeastern coast of the island are most affected by mass movements giving rise to major flatten detritical areas, like "Fajã de São João", the biggest of the South coast, "Fajã dos Vimes" and many other, often fed by hea ...
Furnas volcano is a silicic polygenetic volcano with a summit caldera complex, the older with 8x5.6 km across. The geodiversity associated includes a volcanic lake (Lagoa das Furnas), domes and tuff rings, and a diversified hydrothermal sys ...
"Caldeira" is a collapse caldera emplaced on the top of the polygenetic volcano that occupies the SE sector of Graciosa island. Inside the depression there are two hydromagmatic cones, a swampy area and a volcanic cave "Furna do Enxofre". W ...
Caldeirão is a collapse caldera emplaced on the top of the polygenetic volcano of Corvo island, the smallest of the Azores archipelago. The caldera is about 2.3x1.9 km in diameter, 305 m depth and includes a set of scoria and spatter cones ...
"Fajã Grande" and Fajãzinha are coastal areas of lava deltas and fluvial and scree-slope deposits, contiguous to the central plateau and separated from it through a long and about 300 m high fossil sea cliff. Several streams cascades down t ...
Pico Mountain (Montanha) is the highest point of Portugal (with 2,351 m altitude) and the youngest and biggest polygenetic volcano of the Azores. At 2,050 m there is an older crater and at 2,250 m altitude, Piquinho driblet cone is nested i ...
At about 220 m from the mouth of the Maloás stream, the fluvial valley is characterized by a 15-20 m high water fall with an impressive columnar jointing on a subaerial basaltic lava flow. The vertical columns, sometimes almost 1 m across, ...
Capelinhos is the most recent and western monogenetic volcano of the Capelo peninsula. The 13 months basaltic eruption (September 27th, 1957 to October 24th, 1958) started as submarine and evolved to a terrestrial one, originating a tuff an ...
Capelinhos is the most recent and western monogenetic volcano of the Capelo peninsula. The 13 months basaltic eruption (September 27th, 1957 to October 24th, 1958) started as submarine and evolved to a terrestrial one, originating a tuff an ...