Santa Maria

Corvo Island Faial Island Flores Island Formigas Islands Graciosa Island Pico Island São Jorge São Miguel Island Santa Maria Terceira Island Elderhostel

Santa Maria

 

island of Santa Maria

The island of Santa Maria ; Portuguese for Saint Mary is an island located in the southeastern part of the Azores and is the southernmost island in the Azores Islands. It was the first island in the Azores Archipelago to be discovered. The discoverer of the island was Diogo Silves during his journey to Madeira in 1427. Gonçalo Velho brought families and cattle to the island.

 

Vila do Porto

The area of the island is 97.18 km². The island contains one municipality named Vila do Porto that has the oldest Azorean villages. The island also has old houses with windows that belonged to Capitão Donatário, dating back to the 15th century.

 

terraced agriculture

Due to its geological age (the island was formed 4.8 million years ago), Santa Maria is the only island in the Azores with an abundance of sediments. It is in these sediments that marine fossils have been discovered.

 

 

 


The houses are spread all across the island. Alentejana houses generally have large chimneys. The land is very fertile and the rural landscape has great beauty.

 


The island also produces arts, crafts and pottery. Fish processing also takes place on the island.

 


The island is divided into two regions:
* A flat, very dry and sunshine-rich area with the main town Vila do Porto (founded around 1430) and a civilian airport, Santa Maria Airport. The airport was an American air base until the end of the Second World War.
* The other parts are hilly. The highest point on the island is Pico Alto, at 590m above sea level. The clouds that hang in the mountains provide the area with moisture for rich vegetation and it permits a small amount of agriculture. On 8th February 1989, a Boeing 707 of Independent Air Flight 1851 crashed at Pico Alto killing all 137 passengers and 7 members of the crew.

 

 


The island of Flores was first mentioned in the 16th century after Santa Maria.

 

the "Polar Star" anchored off the island

Christopher Columbus attended Mass in this Island, on his return from the Americas, in the Chapel of Our Lady of the Angels, dedicated to the Holy Spirit.

Text from Wikipedia

Terns

 

 

 

high terraces

 

Holy Spirit shrine

 

 

 

 

 

 


Corvo Island Faial Island Flores Island Formigas Islands Graciosa Island Pico Island São Jorge São Miguel Island Santa Maria Terceira Island Elderhostel

Azores Bermuda Canary Islands Cape Verde Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Greenland Iceland Guernsey Jersey Madeira South Georgia South Orkney Svalbard

World Heritage Mosaics Roman World Africa Antarctica Asia Atlantic Islands Australia Caribbean Central America Europe Indian Ocean Middle East North America Pacific Islands South America The Traveler Recent Adventures Adventure Travel

 

People and Places