When you travel to any destination, you always look for the perfect souvenir. But, in the end, you always end up with the same: magnets for the fridge, mugs or a t-shirt. 

But traveling to a unique destination such as the Azores opens the door to be creative when it comes to souvenirs.  These nine islands in the middle of the Atlantic have volcanic origin so one of the coolest souvenirs you can find – and they are always different – is a tephra fall key ring.

The tephra are fragments of lava created during the strombolian eruptions: projected into the air, and cooled during its trajectory - gaining singular forms. The different shades are related to the composition and alteration of lava -- so each one is unique. Usually, iron–rich lava creates a reddish color tephra due to the oxidation of this chemical element. 

You can find these lava key rings at ART Tourism Kiosks, as well different sizes of lava pieces, perfect for those who want to offer (or save) a little piece of the island as a souvenir.

But there are some other options too: back in the day, the Azorean artisans used what they could find on their own islands as raw materials. Nowadays, new designers and artisans are going back to their roots, reinventing old traditions and searching for new and different materials. And these unique pieces are great souvenirs that also work as talismans. Discover some more ideas here.