Vila do Porto: the Oldest Town in the Azores
Every Azorean town has a story to tell, but only one can say it was the first: Vila do Porto, capital of Santa Maria, was founded before any other settlement in the archipelago.
Founded on a ridge between two valleys
After an initial attempt to settle at Anjos, colonists chose, around 1450, a sunny ridge nestled between two streams — today’s Ribeira de São Francisco and Ribeira do Sancho — on the island’s south coast, facing a wide bay. The founding is credited to Fernão de Quental, and the chosen site offered both a good anchorage and solid defensive conditions.
The Azores’ first royal charter
Vila do Porto received its charter around 1470, becoming the archipelago’s first municipality. It was also the seat of the first Captaincy of the Azores, initially covering both Santa Maria and São Miguel.
Two zones, two urban layouts
Vila do Porto’s historic centre splits into two distinct areas: below the Mother Church, the streets still keep their original medieval layout; above the church, in the newer section, houses stretch along one long, spacious street. The folk architecture, made of scattered white houses, reflects the mostly Algarve origin of the first settlers.
A historic isolation
Despite its founding importance, Vila do Porto was always marked by isolation and weak defensive capacity — hence the need for fortifications like São Brás Fort. The construction of the airport in 1944 would radically change that isolation, giving the island a strategic role in transatlantic flight routes.
Planning your visit
- What to see: the Mother Church of Nossa Senhora da Assunção, the former Convent of São Francisco (now the Town Hall), and the Recolhimento de Santo António.
- Porto Viewpoint: at Largo Sousa e Silva, overlooking the sea, the fishing harbour, and the marina.
- Fun fact: offshore, at Ponta do Marvão, stands Portugal’s first wind farm.
Nearby highlights
São Brás Fort is just a few minutes’ walk from the historic centre.
After exploring Vila do Porto, head to São Brás Fort to see the town from its old defensive post.
Featured image — Photo: Julen Iturbe-Ormaetxe from Bilbao, Spain / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
