The project of Azorean Stories was first founded by Tasmin with the intention to create a project filled with stories from every corner of every island, about the people living on the archipelago (both local and immigrant), their projects and their lives. It is also a blog about island life and Tasmin’s own lived experience. Azorean Stories is a place to tell the inspiring stories of Pico, Faial, São Jorge, Terceira, Graciosa, Flores, Corvo, Santa Maria and São Miguel.

The project of Azorean Stories was first founded by Tasmin, but is meant to be a community project filled with stories from every corner of every island and the voices of many. It is a place to tell the inspiring stories of the amazing island people of Pico, Faial, São Jorge, Terceira, Graciosa, Flores, Corvo, Santa Maria and São Miguel.

Why telling stories?

Telling stories is the oldest way of passing on knowledge and creating a bond between people. While these islanders might be strangers to you, their life lessons could impact you forever. 

From the foreigners falling in love with an island and creating creative spaces for everyone, to the alternative healers and innovative locals to the old whalers with memories full of ocean waves. Each and every story is worth listening to and can be an inspiration for others.

Telling stories is the oldest way of passing on knowledge and creating a bond between people. While these islanders might be strangers to you, their life lessons could impact you forever. 

From the foreigners falling in love with an island and creating creative spaces for everyone, to the alternative healers and innovative locals to the old whalers with memories full of ocean waves. Each and every story is worth listening to and can be an inspiration for others.

Why the Azores?

The Azores are an island archipelago rich in culture and history.

Not only can you find individual traditions on every island and almost every town, the original island people who settled here over 500 years ago (and were a wild mix of Portuguese, Flamish and other nationalities) lived under almost complete isolation for hundreds of years. Thousands of kilometers away from any continent and under sometimes very rough living conditions, they created communities like no other.

Since life could be hard and the volcanoes often had tragedies like eruptions and earthquakes in store, a lot of islanders emigrated into the US, Canada or into mainland Europe, influencing their families and community every time they returned. 

Even though nobody really knew about the islands and most people here were busy with surviving on these beautiful yet hard pieces of land, they still played important roles in Portuguese and world history. Twice, one city on Terceira became the refuge and capital of Portuguese leaders and every Telegram sent from Europe to America had a stop-over in Faial, just like all the airplanes in the early 20th century did, too – just to name a few examples.  

And now, in the age of global traveling and the European Union, the Azores are not only beloved by tourists from around the globe, but they also attract all kinds of artists and free spirits that pack their bags and decide to move on the islands, adding even more creativity and diversity to the already inspiring communities.

The multicultural yet very distinct society of the Azores are just as fascinating as the breathtaking landscapes of these islands. This page wants to celebrate that.

The Azores are an island archipelago rich in culture and history.

Not only can you find individual traditions on every island and almost every town, the original island people who settled here over 500 years ago (and already were a wild mix of portuguese, flamish and other nationalities) lived under almost complete isolation for hundreds of years. Thousands of kilometers away from any continent and under sometimes very rough living conditions, they created communities like no other.

Since life could be hard and the volcanoes often had tragedies like eruptions and earthquakes in store, a lot of islanders emigrated into the US, Canada or into mainland Europe, influencing their families and community every time they returned. 

Even tho nobody really knew about the islands and most people here were busy with surviving on these beautiful yet hard pieces of land, they still played important roles in portuguese and world history. Twice, one city on Terceira became the refuge and capital of portuguese leaders and every Telegram sent from Europe to America had a stop-over in Faial, just like all the airplanes in the early 20th century did too – just to name a few examples.  

And now, in the age of global traveling and the European Union, the Azores are not only beloved by tourists from around the globe, but they also attract all kinds of artists and free spirits that pack their bags and decide to move on the islands, adding even more creativity and diversity to the already inspiring communities.

The multicultural yet very distinct society of the Azores are just as fascinating as the breathtaking landscapes of these islands. This page wants to celebrate that.

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About the Founder

Hi, my name is Tasmin Hansmann. I am an author and nature lover, who wants to make the world a little bit better. And what better way to do that than by collecting stories from my favorite place on earth?

I have my roots in Germany but live on Pico Island. While I work as a freelance creative and writer, I have a degree in cultural anthropology and something that is easiest summarized as “diverse history and archeology”.

Experiencing island life on the Azores truly showed me the impact one single person can have, since the unique circumstances highlight each individual that contributes to society and culture. As someone who slowly grows to be a part of this community while always remaining a guest in their home, I wanted to give back by documenting people’s stories and sharing my own.

My first book “The Anatomy of Waves” was published in 2021 and is a collection of poetry inspired by the Azores. Since then, multiple other books have followed.

If you want to get to know me a little better, check out my YouTube channel, where I have documented some of my journey over the last few years. You can also find me on Instagram if you wish, but Azorean Stories has it’s own account over there. If you want to learn more about the books I write, head over here.

Thank you for reading and for your interest in one of the most magical places on earth.