Vila Franca Islet, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal Jun 13, 2025

Vila Franca Islet, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal

Not far from São Miguel Island in the Azores archipelago of Portugal, you"ll find Vila Franca Islet. This uninhabited green islet sits quietly just south of the town of Vila Franca do Campo. Beneath its serene surface, this gem holds a lively past. Once a volcanic crater, this islet is now a protected nature reserve teeming with unique marine life, including bird species like Bulwer"s petrel, little egret and sooty tern. The unique shape of this tiny island, sculpted by nature, makes it truly special. At its heart lies an almost perfectly circular lagoon, linked to the sea by a narrow channel called Boquete. Since the opening faces north toward São Miguel, it shields the lagoon from ocean waves and forms a calm natural harbour with a sandy beach.

© ARoxo/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Dare to delve into this dense swamp
The world’s greatest oasis?
Jun 13, 2024Registan Square, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

More Desktop Wallpapers:

What are these ancient animals?
Nov 28, 2024Murudeshwara Temple, Murdeshwar, Karnataka
May 19, 2025Mount Hamilton, San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States
Oct 11, 2025World Migratory Bird Day
Aug 25, 2024Golconda Fort in Hyderabad, Telangana
Jun 4, 2024Chestnut-headed bee-eater, Bardia National Park, Nepal
Dec 16, 2024Salzburg, Austria
A painters palette of natures hues
Dec 3, 2024Amber Fort, Amer, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
The Big Apple with a foggy topping
May 17, 2025A delta in the Venetian Lagoon, Italy
Whats so funny?
Feb 27, 2026International Polar Bear Day
Jun 21, 2025International Day of Yoga
Starry, starry night
Sep 23, 2025Keel-billed toucan, Costa Rica
Jun 23, 2024Dhaka, Bangladesh
Apr 14, 2024Bowling Ball Beach, California, USA
Nov 7, 2023Kirkilai lakes, Biržai Regional Park, Lithuania
Hide-and-go-seek world champion
A ghost on the mountain
Jan 28, 2024Channel Country, Australia
The lord of all beginnings
Sep 9, 2024Iguazu Falls at the border of Argentina and Brazil
Season of light in the City of Light
May 15, 2025Palace of Westminster, London, England
Dec 7, 2024Orchha Fort complex, Orchha, Madhya Pradesh
Nov 19, 2025Hungarian Parliament Building, Budapest, Hungary
City of ice
A grand view