in the waters of the Azores. Geography The parish of Ribeiras is an administrative division extending from the parish of Lajes do Pico in the west to Piedade along the eastern coast. It consists of mountainous hills that slope into the Atlantic Ocean, and includes several ravines and river-valleys. Towards the interior, there are many craters and spatter cones that comprise the portions of the Achada Plain and the Topo Volcanic Complex. These lands are primarily peat-bogs and populated by scrub vegetation, as well as lake-filled depressions or cones, such as Lagoa do Paul (in the northeastern corner of the parish). The first settlements were established in the semi-regular plain in the area of Santa Cruz (in the western part of the parish). As growth occurred, new settlements popped-up along the flanks of the mountain, around Arrife, expanding along the Caminho de Cima and Caminho de Baixo, and farther along the roads to the localities of Pontas Negras, Ribeira Seca and Ribeira Grande. References External links , official site Ribeiras.com, a website dedicated to the parish Freguesias of Lajes do Pico