ABSTRACT
The Azores archipelago is distinguished by its volcanic origin, and has a very rich and remarkable geodiversity that includes a variety of landscapes filled with innumerable craters, volcanic lakes, cliffs and calderas, fumaroles, hot springs, volcanic caves, fault scarps, and marine fossil deposits. The recognition of the value and relevance of its geological heritage resulted in the integration of the archipelago in the Global and European Geoparks Networks and in the UNESCO Global Geoparks program. The volcanic landscape is the main focus of interest, and development of geotourism in the archipelago presents a wide range of possibilities for sustainable use, where several activities can be performed and associated tourist products developed with the creation of the Geopark. The main challenge to this new form of tourism is to keep a balance between the enjoyment in the geolandscapes, geological heritage, and geoconservation.
