25 favorite places from the Azores Islands and the magical forests of Madeira, Portugal

Dual names for sites of cultural significance

Of all the proposed sites around the world, only one place checks nearly every box in Plato's description—the Azores Plateau. It’s sunken, geologically active, and perched atop a triple tectonic plate junction: the African, European, and North American plates. Not only that, it sits nearly level with Spain in latitude—just like Plato described. If you’re still picturing Atlantis in the Caribbean or Antarctica… you might want to look again. | The Randall Carlson

Sao Miguel