The Volcanic Islands of the Azores
The volcanic islands of the Azores are home to steaming hot pools and the legendary Cozido stew, which are a stew cooked in a hole in the ground near caldeiras. In the town of Furnas, located between Villa Franca and Nordeste, you can sample this famous dish. To find the caldera, you must drive up to the town of Nordeste. Once you have tasted Cozido, you'll understand why this dish is so famous. Laurel forests Laurisilva (shrubby forest) is a subtropical type of forest with relatively stable temperature and high humidity. Laurel forests have a high diversity of evergreen and broadleaf tree species and are typically composed of a mix of native and exotic plants. This forest type is particularly valuable for wildlife habitat as it can preserve important species. In contrast, tropical and subtropical forests have low diversity and often have low levels of bird and bat populations. Laurisilva is the best-preserved subtropical forest in the western Atlantic, occupying altitudes of 3...