Geography

The archipelago of the Azores has nine islands in the Atlantic Ocean and the island of Corvo is the smallest with only 17km2 of total surface, with 4km in length and 6km in width. About 500 people live on the island of Corvo, the only town is Vila do Corvo, where the airport is located.

Along with the neighboring island of Flores located only 18km away, Corvo is technically located on the North American tectonic plate. These two islands form the Western Group of the archipelago. 

The highest point of Corvo is 720m high.

Economy

Like its sister Flores island, Corvo develops farming and fishing in the first centuries.

Whale hunting was also practiced in Corvo after the influence of American whalers. Between 1886 and 1890 they hunted one whale per year. The population will increase to more than 1,000 inhabitants at that time. In the 20th century, there was no longer fishing activity, the population will migrate to the United States and Canada for a life with better conditions. The harbor on the island of Corvo served to dock the boats of Flores. And Corvo’s lookouts, strategic points for spotting whales, were used until the end of the whaling times in Flores, in 1981. 

Two years later, the aerodrome of Corvo is inaugurated, facilitating contact with the rest of the archipelago. There are regular routes with Flores, Faial and Terceira islands.

Nowadays, the most important local source of wealth is cattle breeding.

History

Along with Flores, the two western islands were discovered at the same time by the Portuguese explorer Diogo Teive around 1452, originally naming the island “Insula Corvi”. The population will arrive only in the mid 16th century with a group of slaves from Cape Verde to take care of the agriculture. In 1580, some locals of Flores islands decide to move to Corvo and increase its population.

Just like Flores, the strategic position of the island beats its isolation. It is a point of passage for Spanish and Portuguese boats coming from and going to their new empire in the Americas. This strategic position however brought negative consequences: pirate attacks in the 17th century. But the locals didn’t let the pirates take everything! The brave Corvinos threw rocks at the pirates and we can mention the historic victory of locals in 1632.

Electricity arrived at Corvo in 1963 and communications by telephone 10 years later. Before that, to communicate with Flores, they used radio communication and in the beginning, smoke signals.

Nature & Geology

The island of Corvo has a great diversity of geological and volcanic structures, as the island is made of one main volcano. It is said that Corvo is a volcano island, unique in the archipelago. Corvo saw its Biosphere Reserve created in 2007 by UNESCO in order to protect its precious nature.

At the top of the central volcano on the island of Corvo is the highlight of the island – Caldeirão, a collapsing crater with, 2.3km in diameter and a depth of about 305 meters. It is worth going down into the crater, walk by the lakes and small cones that the ancients say represent the nine islands of the Azores.

The local landscape, besides the volcano, consists of the green of pastures accompanied by stone walls to delimitate the terrains.