Azores 5g, Azores Art, Azores Banking, Azores Beaches, Azores Boats, Azores Economy, Azores Family, Azores Festival, Azores Pottery, Azores Travel, Bird Watching Azores, Corvo, Crater Lakes, Pico Island, ponta delgada

Corvo Island, which translates to the land of the crow, is the northernmost region in the Azores archipelago. This small island of 7km long by 4km wide is the most isolated region in Portugal. Corvo has a population of just under 500 residents. People who are from Corvo like to be called Corvinos. Unlike the other 8 Azorean islands whose residents call themselves Azoreans, in Corvo, if you are from there, you are a Corvino. Corvo residents are considered very intelligent, and many great poets and artists originate from this island of innocence. This is an island of people who love to read and are very up to date on what is going on in the world even though they live relatively isolated. Corvo was the first island in the Azores to access the internet, which again exhibits their openness to information and knowledge. The small island has a school with 41 students in total with a total of 14 teachers. The island only has one hotel and a handful of quaint rental properties overlooking the ocean. Corvo is considered the ‘black island’ in the color scheme of islands in the Azores. The reason for this is due to the majestic caves that exist on the island. The dark black caves span hundreds of meters and connect to many other naturally formed tunnels. This is one of the reason’s why UNESCO designated this island a unique biosphere reserve. This highly acclaimed distinction makes this one of the only islands in the world to receive such a classification. The island is accessible by plane or boat. In the summer months, there are five flights a week via Azores Airlines. This is generally out of Sao Miguel Island and is a 45-minute flight. In the winter months, there are on average 2-3 flights a week to the island. One of the best ways to visit this island, though, is by boat. Some boats leave daily in the summer months out of the island of Flores. The short 1-hour boat ride through the Azorean channel is a remarkable experience. As you enter the small port on the island’s only municipality of Vila do Corvo, you pass by all the enchanting and majestic caves. The streets on Corvo are typical Portuguese streets, which can be very narrow. The houses seem to merge into the beautiful mountainside. The residents of Corvo are very mindful of themselves and their lives and respect the privacy of others. There is a popular saying in the Azores, and this applies especially to Corvo. “The Azores are a place you go by chance and from which you never leave the same.” I believe this is especially true on the island of Corvo, where if you make the journey here, it is for a purpose, and you are sure to find what you are searching for on this mysterious island. There is a beautiful church on the island, a town square, and a bank with an ATM. Like a stunning untouched movie set in the middle of the Atlantic, this is a place you should visit if you love mother nature. The hundreds of dolphins that provide free shows as they pass the island during their migratory period only add to the island’s charm. The most popular site to visit on the island is the ‘Caldeirao.’ This is a naturally formed volcanic crater 300 meters deep by 2,400 meters in circumference. This unique site has two small lagoons inside of it, separated by some marshland. There is a popular hiking trail that will take you there from many points on the island.