The Macaronesian archipelagos—Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands, and Cape Verde—lie in contrasting geodynamic settings and provide a unique perspective on how oceanic plates deform and interact. In the GEMMA project, we processed high‑precision data from GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) stations across these islands to build velocity fields that describe both the horizontal and vertical components of crustal motion. The resulting patterns sharpen our understanding of plate interactions and internal deformation, notably clarifying the distribution of strain at the Azores triple junction. Vertical motions differ between archipelagos, reflecting processes such as active rifting and volcanic activity in the Azores, magmatic intrusions in the Canary Islands, and combinations of subsidence and uplift in Madeira and Cape Verde driven by local processes. To interpret the observations in the Azores, we carried out numerical simulations that explore the influence of mantle‑driven uplift, flexure of the crust under volcanic loading, and localized magmatism. Collectively, these geodetic and modelling results provide new insights into the complex interplay of deep‑seated and surface processes shaping the Macaronesian region and help refine our understanding of how oceanic islands evolve over time.