The Portuguese Discovery of the Atlantic Islands: Madeira and the Azores

Before Vasco da Gama rounded Africa, before Cabral reached Brazil, Portugal's first empire was built in the Atlantic. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the discovery and settlement of the Madeira and Azores archipelagos in the early 15th century. Learn how Prince Henry the Navigator's captains — João Gonçalves Zarco, Tristão Vaz Teixeira, and Diogo de Silves — stumbled upon these volcanic islands. Hear how Madeira's dense forests gave way to sugarcane plantations, and how the Azores became a strategic waypoint for ships returning from India. We also uncover the myth of Atlantis, the role of Genoese and Flemish settlers, and the ecological transformation of these uninhabited archipelagos. It's a story of exploration, colonization, and the birth of an Atlantic world that would shape Portugal's global reach. #Madeira #Azores #PrinceHenryTheNavigator #JoãoGonçalvesZarco #TristãoVazTeixeira #DiogoDeSilves #AtlanticIslands #PortugueseDiscovery #Sugarcane #Funchal #AngraDoHeroísmo #Genoese #Flemish #Atlantis #PortugueseEmpire #AgeOfDiscovery #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo