Santa María, the incredible island of the Azores that stood up to Columbus

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Portuguese legend tells that the island of

de las Azores was discovered between 1427-1432 and colonized in 1440. The first inhabitants settled in the

, easily accessible from the sea and with a gentle relief, ideal for farming cereal.

The hermitage of

(angels) was built there.

This small temple, to which miracles are attributed, is the first church built in the Azores.

The

region was fertile but vulnerable to attack by corsairs, hence its people were always on the defensive.

As an example -follows the legend-, they say that in 1493, on the way back from the first trip to the

, the crew of the Niña sighted Santa María and broke formation to dock.

The objective of

was to celebrate a mass on dry land to give thanks to the Lord, for having prevented the Pinta from sinking in a storm.

But the Azorean soldiers, led by

, surrounded the sailors and captured them.

Sea water pool in San Lorenzo Bay.

The Portuguese, emboldened, went to Columbus' ship to demand that he withdraw.

The Genoese, in a fiery dialogue, showed his credentials from the

and threatened them with the very Spanish Navy.

The Portuguese's response, more or less, was this: "I do not know or recognize any

and I invite him to leave."

And sure enough, Colón withdrew.

But the days passed and sanity prevailed.

Someone gave Castanheira a history lesson and ended up apologizing and releasing his prisoner.

There was mass, there was peace and, today, Anjos celebrates it with a

piece of pure nature

In 2022, disembarking in Santa María for tourism is very adventurous and little corsair.

The

, a remote island of the Portuguese archipelago, is an enclave of 96 kms.

square with 6,500 inhabitants.

of the cult of contemplative life.

A piece of pure nature that surprises the senses with its bravery.

When it rains, it rains in torrents.

When the sun shines, it is intense.

When the wind blows - daily during this report - it does so with genius.

And

when white foam emerges, moor the fleet because it is dangerous.

A meteorological mix capable of manufacturing

, those circular lines painted on the map that anticipate the arrival of good weather in the Peninsula.

First to Portugal, then to Spain.

Santa María is usually reached by plane from neighboring San Miguel, a huge island that serves as the capital.

A 15-minute flight, an airlift.

There are also direct ones from Portugal/mainland and the USA.

Two fishermen, father and son, repairing the nets on a rough day.

If the tourist's goal is to

, head to the port and pray that the sea is calm.

If you opt for

and beaches, head for the

or Praia Formosa.

Sooner or later, make

to discover the trees with their lichen coats: masses of laurisilva,

and holly.

On the way up, just before reaching a swarm of cell towers, you will see two monuments that pay tribute to the

in 1989, a Boeing 707 that was bound for the Dominican Republic.

A sandy Mars without craters

After crossing endless hills and green valleys, among dozens of whitewashed houses, shiny and integrated into the environment, stop at Barreiro da Faneca, a

of 835 clayey hectares that will take you to a sandy Mars but without craters.

A

resulting from various eruptions.

An ideal place to walk through nothingness, to meditate, to grumble, to empty yourself and recharge your batteries.

A few kilometers away, breathe the inhospitable

and the imposing views of Cré and the bays of Tagarete or Raposo.

Ecclesiastical architecture of Santa Maria.

Santa María can be explored on foot (from three to five days following the GR01SMA route) or

linking beacons of Cyclin Azores.

If you opt for the car (rent a small one), drive along the main road until you come face to face with the sea.

Next to the

you will come across an old

(Vigia do Castelo) -see Azores Viewpoints- and a poster explaining the ancient whaling company of Porto do Castelo.

When you arrive at the beach, don't imagine endless

Here, you have to win over the sea based on natural pools and protected bays such as San Lorenzo, with its little fishing houses on the slopes of the steep hillside.

Humble homes owned by

.

Most descendants of whalers who worked for the American fleet.

Ah... be careful with the Atlantic.

He is cold and quarrelsome, even dangerous.

Don't trust.

Two horses, in the middle of nature.

Along the way, have a

and let yourself be seduced by the Cryptomerias japonicas, those imported Japanese trees that have turned the Azores into a redoubt of Asia.

And when you get a chance, hang out with the

.

Friendly islanders with faces tanned by the sun and sea salt.

Set to continue discovering magical places in this wild corner, do not miss the

, an old quarry that is now a deep lake inhabited by frogs, toads, freshwater fish, herons, robins... Sit in silence in front of its still water is equivalent to attending a nature concert.

A

and cicadas.

Amazing, natural audio in the days of canned music and Spotify hits.

The Spanish Carol Román, in her Água-Viva store.

And when you pass through the capital,

, take the opportunity to recharge your batteries in its restaurants, to visit the

and to go shopping.

And if you're spending money, make a paradiña at the

t-shirt and sweatshirt store and ask for its owner, the Spanish Carol Román.

Carol is a Catalan who emigrated for love and has undertaken intelligently, becoming a great

("I wouldn't change living here for anything").

In addition to her products, her advice is ground gold (they are taking time to interview her on the Spanish program around the world).

To top it off, I advise you to leave something undone to have an excuse to come back.

We couldn't dive and, if nothing goes wrong, we will go in September.

Like

, but with the permission of the rays, the whale sharks and Nemo himself.

PRACTICAL GUIDE

HOW TO GET.

is the airline that offers the most flights from Spain to the Azores.

The normal thing is to make a stopover in the neighboring island of San Miguel.

's propeller planes

connect San Miguel with Santa María.

Iberia and

also fly this summer to the Portuguese islands.

WHERE TO SLEEP.

Charming Blue.

In the center of Vila do Porto.

Renovated and with pool.

More than 100 euros.

Shared bathroom and pool.

From 50 euros.

WHERE TO EAT

.

(Vila do Porto).

Signature dishes.

Brief menu.

The waiter is the chef and soul of this 'foodie' corner where LPs by Cesaria Évora and António Zambujo are played.

Reservation essential.

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