Description Corvo

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Corvo Island, considered by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve, forms, together with the island of Flores, the Western Group of the Azores archipelago. Of volcanic origin, Corvo is the smallest of the nine islands, with an area of ??only 17.1 km2.

The only village on the island, Vila Nova do Corvo, is located in a lava fajã that constitutes the main flattened surface of the island. It is a picturesque and unusual village characterized by black stone facades, with white edging on windows and doors, and by narrow streets, locally designated by canadas, paved with pebbles and slabs polished by use.

It is worth visiting the Church of Nossa Senhora dos Milagres (patron saint of Corvo Island) that holds an image - the Virgin and Child, of Flemish origin - and an Indo-Portuguese ivory crucifix, as well as the Corvo Interpretation Center.

At Alto dos Moinhos, near Ponta Negra, small windmills adorn the seaside. Unlike those on the rest of the archipelago's islands, these are of Mediterranean influence, more similar to those found in mainland Portugal. They have a conical trunk, with a mechanism that rotates the wooden dome, so that the candle follows the wind direction.

From Vila Nova do Corvo to Caldeirão, the ex-libris of the island, it is six kilometers always rising. Along the way are the low walls that divide the properties, long lines of hydrangeas and the black stains of the "haystacks", rustic houses made of basalt where the implements and forages were kept.

Upon arriving at the Monte Gordo viewpoint, we let ourselves be enchanted by the unique landscape that we can observe from the Caldeirão, which together with its Lagoon constitute the main landscape element of the island. This volcanic caldera, the result of the collapse of the top of the central volcano of Corvo, has an elliptical shape with a depth of 305 meters and its interior is occupied by the shallow Lagoa do Caldeirão and several small volcanic cones that cut out the mass. of water and that many say to outline the design of the Azorean islands.

To the southwest, two very curious rock formations rise, which they call Cavaleiro and Marco.

From the Pão de Açúcar Viewpoint, on the hill of the same name, we have an excellent panoramic view not only of the island itself and of Vila Nova do Corvo, but also of Flores Island.

The entire island is surrounded by high and steep cliffs and the highest point on the island is Morro dos Homens, located on the southern edge of the Caldeirão, 718 meters high.

A boat trip around the island is an unforgettable experience, revealing its most inaccessible areas, allowing you to observe the landscape, a large number of sea birds and even dolphins or whales.