The date of the discovery of Santa Maria is unknown. What is known for certain is that Portuguese caravels scouted its coastline in 1427 and that Gonçalo Velho Cabral, a navigator in the service of Prince Infante D. Henrique and a friar of the Order of Christ, launched cattle on the island and was later its Captain Donatory. The first island in the Azores to be populated, it saw a handful of pioneers disembark from caravels in 1439 and settle at Praia dos Lobos, along the Capitão stream. João Soares de Albergaria, nephew of the first Captain Donatory and his heir, gave new life to the settlement of Santa Maria, bringing families from the mainland, especially from the Algarve.

Until the end of the 15th c., Santa Maria saw great development, which led to the first town charter in the Azores being granted to the town of Porto, since then called Vila do Porto.

Until the end of the 18th c., the island's prosperity was centred on pastel, which was considered the best in the archipelago and was abundant, and heather, both of which were exported to the dye factories in Flanders, as well as wheat, which was in demand on the mainland and supplied the Portuguese strongholds in North Africa.

Its place in the middle of the Atlantic brought it a visit from Cristovão Colombo in 1493, on his way back from his first voyage to America, in fulfilment of a religious promise and in search of food.

Regarded as a common pirate, he was imprisoned on the orders of the island's governor until the reasons for his visit were fully explained. The real pirates came in the 16th and 17th centuries at the same time as the attacks by English, French, Turkish and Algerian corsairs who, despite the fortifications built, raided, set fire to, pillaged and took the inhabitants prisoner as slaves and hostages.

In 1616, the island was occupied for five days by Moroccan pirates who, in 1675, carried out countless atrocities, even beating the inhabitants with an iron bar.

Santa Maria went smoothly through the 18th and 19th centuries, with its population dedicated to agriculture (predominantly vineyards, wheat, corn, potatoes, yams and orchards), cattle breeding and dairy farming. The exception was the presence of a group of young men from the island among the troops that took part in the landing at Mindelo and the siege of Porto in 1832, during the struggles between the Liberals and the Miguelists.

The 20th c. brought new dynamics and progress with the construction of the airport in 1944 - of great strategic value during the Second World War and a mandatory stopover point for Atlantic crossings until the end of the 1960s. The introduction of new aeroplane models with greater flight autonomy has reduced traffic at the airport, but the island's future is looking bright, based on making good use of its natural resources and geographical position.

Misto mariense
Typical dish that includes the traditional chorizo, fried black pudding and the famous alheira mariense (a sausage traditionally associated with Trás-os-Montes and Beiras).

Molho de Santa Maria
A type of sausage much appreciated in Mariense cuisine, it consists of a pork stomach stuffed with rice, pork, bacon and sausage, seasoned with local pepper, parsley, paprika, wine and vinegar. It can be served with boiled sweet potatoes.

Bolo na panela
This dish, typical of the Mariense gastronomy, despite the name “bolo” (cake), consists of a soup made with pork, cornflour and cabbage.

Caldo de peixe
A typical dish of the Azorean gastronomic heritage, accompanied by bread and mint, which is also found in Mariense cuisine. The main fish species used to make it are blacktail comber, bluemouth rockfish, blackspot seabream, yellowmouth barracuda and cutlassfish.

Caldo de nabos
One of Santa Maria's most iconic dishes, made with a type of turnip that only exists in a few places on the island and, curiously, on less fertile land. Pork, chorizo and streaky bacon, as well as sweet potatoes and homemade bread, complete this recipe, giving it a unique flavour.

Sopas do Espírito Santo
Common on all the islands of the archipelago, this traditional dish of meat, cabbage, potatoes and bread is usually seasoned with dill and mint. Its cooking is combined with a series of cultural rituals that change from island to island and sometimes even from parish to parish.

Cavacas
A sweet made from sugar and eggs, round in shape and covered in sugar syrup. This traditional Portuguese sweet is also present in the gastronomy of the island of Santa Maria.

Encanelados
À semelhança das cavacas, estes biscoitos também são cobertos com uma calda açúcar, diferindo das cavacas no formato e apresentando-se em forma de rosquilha.

Biscoitos de orelha
Considered a gastronomic reference in Santa Maria, biscoitos de orelha (ear biscuits) owe their name to the triangle-shaped cuts made on the edges of the dough. They are made from a soft dough with sugar, wheat flour, eggs, lard and butter, and then baked in a medium oven

Meloa
Fragrant, with orange-coloured flesh and a soft texture, the Santa Maria melon stands out for its nutritional properties, namely its high Vitamin C content and the presence of minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium.

Festa da Nossa Senhora da Assunção
In honour of Vila do Porto's patron saint, this is Santa Maria's main festival, also known as the 15thof August Festivities. In addition to its religious nature, which includes the celebration of Mass and the procession in honour of Nossa Senhora da Assunção (Our Lady of the Assumption), it is also possible to enjoy popular music and other leisure activities.

Location: Vila do Porto
Date: 15th August
Responsible Entity: Parishes of the municipality

Festa do Senhor Santo Cristo
Festivities in honour of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres, which take place one week after the celebration of the same name on the island of São Miguel. Like other religious festivities on the island of Santa Maria, the public component is also part of the festivities.

Location: Vila do Porto
Date: One week after the celebration of the same name on the island of São Miguel / Sixth Sunday after Easter
Responsible Entity: Brotherhood of Sr. Santo Cristo dos Milagres

Festas do Espírito Santo
Festivities that are common to all the islands, although they diverge in some details from island to island, and even within the same island, reflect devotion to the third being of the Holy Trinity. The religiosity of the Azoreans, the spirit of sharing and community work reflect the reality of the feasts of the Holy Spirit: a feast of the people for the people.

Location: All over the island
Date: From May to September, with special emphasis on the 7th Sunday after Easter
Responsible Entity: Brotherhoods of the Holy Spirit

Festas dos Santos Padroeiros
Masses and processions are held between June and August in honour of the patron saint of each parish: Santo António Festivities (Santo Espírito parish), São Pedro Festivities (São Pedro parish), Nossa Senhora do Bom Despacho Festivities (Almagreira parish) and Sagrado Coração de Jesus Festivities (Santa Bárbara parish).

Location: Parishes in the municipality of Vila do Porto
Date: Usually celebrated on the weekend of each saint, according to the religious calendar
Responsible Entity: Parishes of the municipality

Peregrinação à Ermida de Nossa Senhora de Fátima
The path taken by pilgrims from Santa Maria to the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Fátima, the first chapel under the devotion of Nossa Senhora de Fátima, in Portugal, after the Chapel das Aparições, in Cova da Iria.

Location: Vila do Porto
Date: 12th and 13th May
Responsible Entity: Parishes of the municipality

Festival Maia Folk
Held annually during the month of July in Maia Bay, “Maia Folk” includes folk music from different generations and cultures.

Location: Maia Bay
Date: First or second weekend in July
Responsible Entity: Friends of Maia Association

Festival Maré de Agosto
The oldest festival in the Region, takes place every year in August in Praia Formosa, featuring a variety of musical genres and activities.

Location: Praia Formosa
Date: The penultimate weekend of August
Responsible Entity: Maré de Agosto Cultural Association.

Festival Santa Maria Blues
A music festival that includes music styles inspired by blues and jazz. It takes place in the town of Anjos and is held every year, in July.

Location: Lugar dos Anjos
Date: The weekend following the Maia Folk Festival
Responsible Entity: Escravos da Cadeinha Association