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.