The Azores UNESCO Global Geopark has a rich geodiversity and an important geological heritage, based on a network of 121 geosites dispersed by the nine islands and the surrounding seafloor, with a total area of 12,884 sq. km (including the 2,324 sq. km of the emerged territory).

The international relevance of the archipelago’s geology relies on its 27 main volcanic systems, in which 16 of them are still active, even on a dormant stage. The Azorean geodiversity includes geo-landscapes as domes and coulées, calderas, lakes, lava fields, fumaroles, hot springs and thermal waters, volcanic caves, “fajãs”, fault scarps and marine fossil deposits, among many others.

The Azores UNESCO Global Geopark combines the protection and promotion of its geological heritage with the sustainable development of their communities, in the socio-economic, educational, environmental and cultural point of view. The Azorean culture, ethnography and architecture are strongly influenced by the geology of the islands. Since the settlement (in the 15th century), the Azorean people learned how to live with active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes, taking advantage of its fertile soils (e.g. winery landscapes), their geological resources (e.g. water and thermal areas) and beautiful landscapes that ever since attracts visitors from all over the World.