Vila Franca Islet, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal 13 Jun 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. First documented in 1537, around the time when settlers from São Miguel began expanding westward, Vila Franca Islet has played many roles throughout its history. It has served as a military fort, a port, a vineyard site and even a lookout for whale-watching.

© ARoxo/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Dare to delve into this dense swamp
The world’s greatest oasis?
13 Jun 2024Registan Square, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
13 Jun 2026Trooping the Colour

More Desktop Wallpapers:

31 Jan 2024International Zebra Day
23 Apr 2026Saint Georges Day
28 Apr 2024El Capitan, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas, USA
31 Mar 2026Paradise Cave, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam
2 Aug 2026Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
A sea of humanity
25 Sep 2024Sequoia National Park, California, USA
23 Feb 2025Mount Fuji Day
Santa slalom
What are these unique creatures?
28 Jul 2026World Nature Conservation Day
17 May 2026Hawksbill Mountain, Shenandoah National Park, United States
14 Dec 2023Boreal owl
Cool bloomers
5 Oct 2023World Teachers Day
2 Aug 2024Virgin Islands National Park, USA
Happy 70th to the North York Moors
Halfway there
1 Dec 2023Antarctica Day
Doves of peace
3 Oct 2025Glen Brittle, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Something to ‘bee’ thankful for
3 Aug 2026Colourful boats in Marsaxlokk Harbour, Malta
Theres no denying the power of Denali
8 Sep 2024Great North Run
10 Jan 2026The Matterhorn reflected in Lake Stellisee, Zermatt, Switzerland
15 Aug 2024Hang Sơn Đoòng, Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, Vietnam
1 Oct 2023Lake Bled, Slovenia
6 Aug 2026Migrating wildebeest crossing Mara River in Masai Mara, Kenya
1 Jun 2024Pride Month