Volcanic Island Vineyards: Azores Labyrinth

Pico Island is a volcanic island in the #Azores of #Portugal, and 15th century vintners adapted to the basalt-littered landscape with stone homes and stone walled vineyards to protect the vineyards from fierce Atlantic winds and surges of salty ocean water. This can still be seen today in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Criação Velha wine region in the municipality of Madalena. The small plots of land these 5-foot high walls protect are known as "currais,” and the myriad of them together form a complex labyrinth rectangular pens quite spectacular to see from above or to walk through. In the background you see the active Mount Pico #Volcano.