The islet of Vila Franco do Campo belongs to the group of Azores islands and has become a very popular tourist destination mainly because of its volcanic origin and the almost perfect lagoon that is connected to the ocean.
Villa Franco do Campo is a very small island of volcanic origin, which lies in the middle of the Atlantic and is 1,369 kilometers from the European continent. Volcanoes that gave birth Azores Islands, have also created smaller islets located just off the coast of larger ones. And the most famous among these smaller formations is certainly the islet of Vila Franca do Compo, located about 500 meters from the coast of the island São Miguel, the largest Azores island with the largest number of inhabitants.
The islet got its name from the town of Vila Franca do Campo, the former capital of Sao Miguel, which lies opposite the islet. An island formed by the former crater of an old underwater volcano, is today natural reserve and it is also one of the most popular destinations of all who visit the island of Sao Miguel. A big reason for this is the fact that it takes place on the island every year Red Bull's world championship in cliff jumping.
The islet of Vila Franca do Campo is populated with green vegetation, and inside it there is an almost perfect round natural lake, which is connected to the sea with natural channels. This one is called Boquete and faces north and the coast of Sao Miguel. The channel allows water to circulate between the ocean and the lagoon at all times, while preventing waves from reaching the crater, resulting in a very rich and varied underwater life of fish and algae. And although today the island is primarily a tourist destination, in past years it also served as an excellent whale watching point and a military base. They even cultivated a vineyard on it. In order to protect it, it was classified as a nature reserve in 1983. Unlike previous years, today it can only be visited during the main season, i.e. between June and September. At that time, boats take tourists from the town of Vila Franca to the island several times a day. The crystal clear water of the lagoon is extremely inviting and very hard to resist in the summer months, and the beach that surrounds it is perfect for lounging.
