The nature greenery, mild oceanic subtropical climate and dramatic landscapes draw a lot of tourists to the Azores for hiking and photography, so I thought to write about São Miguel which is the largest and most frequently visited of all Azores islands, and many may visit without knowing its an active volcanic area. The island didn’t take on its modern shape until about 50 000 – 40 000 years ago when an eruption of land-forming lava joined the eastern and western volcanic massifs between Sete Cidades and Picos fissural systems to form the youngest volcanoes on the island.