São Miguel: where the heat is tamed

The expedition to São Miguel immerses us in the thermal face of the Azores. Here, the Earth never quite sleeps: it breathes, it heats, it transforms.

As we travelled around the island, we explored the many forms of this island geothermal energy, from the underwater spring at Ponta da Ferraria to the silent steam of Caldeira Velha, passing through the spectacular landscapes of Sete Cidades and the slopes of Pico Queimado, where traces of past eruptions meet local memories.

But in São Miguel, the Earth's heat is not limited to natural phenomena. It also shapes the culture. In Furnas, we had the chance to document the preparation of Cozido das Furnas, an emblematic dish cooked right in the volcanic soil, thanks to the generous hospitality of the team at Tony's restaurant. Our warmest thanks go to Gerson Rodrigues, Maria Medeiros, Valter Vieira, Marco Arruda and Ruben Pimentel for their hospitality, patience and complicity throughout this culinary sequence that was as tasty as it was geological.

This stage of the filming revealed the powerful intimacy between the inhabitants and their volcanic substratum. Here, people are not afraid of the heat underground - they live with it, adapt to it and transform it.

São Miguel shows us that geodiversity is not just about rocks and gas, but also about transmission, adaptation and human resilience.