Graciosa Island in Azores, Portugal (drone video)
Graciosa Island, seen from above, is a quiet masterpiece of volcanic grace – from islets and thermal pools to hidden caverns and soft highlands. Accompanied by delicate melodies, it reveals its beauty not in drama, but in depth, light, and silence.
Set to the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack of Sam Moss, the drone glides over the gentle curves and volcanic contours of Graciosa Island – the “White Island” of the Azores, known for its soft light, quiet charm, and untouched beauty.
The flight begins over the rolling ridges of Poceirões and the Serra Branca, where windmills dot the landscape and green pastures stretch toward the horizon. These highlands offer a serene contrast to the raw Atlantic coast.
As the camera sweeps down to the sea, it captures the striking silhouette of the Praia Islet and Baixo Islet, standing like ancient sentinels just offshore – stark, volcanic, and alive with birdlife. The Carapacho area reveals thermal pools by the ocean’s edge, where the warm waters invite moments of stillness and reflection.
Further inland, the lens dips into the lush crater of the Caldeira and its smaller twin, the Caldeirinha. Mist rises above the tree-lined rim as the drone descends toward the mysterious Furna do Enxofre – an underground volcanic cavern with a sulphuric lake at its heart. Here, nature whispers ancient secrets beneath the earth.
The journey ends on the quiet expanse of the Red Beach (Praia Vermelha) – a rare stretch of reddish volcanic sand, bathed in golden light as the sun dips low. Graciosa is not a place of extremes, but of subtle wonders – a landscape where time slows and silence speaks.