It was the first island of the Azores to be discovered in 1427, with a total area of 97,1 km2, the island of Santa Maria is characterized by being the driest of the islands of the Azores, and is called the “Sun Island”. It has a population around 5.400 inhabitants spread over five parishes and one single town, Vila do Porto.
About 8 million years old, it is the oldest island of the archipelago, where it is possible to find the only limestone fossil deposits in the Azores. Despite being an island of volcanic origin, it has no traces of active volcanism.
With bays of crystalline waters and white sand beaches, The Sun island offers the opportunity to learn about the evolution of a landscape that has been shaped over time.
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