A long time ago, at the beginning of Santa Maria Island’s settlement, a young fisherman cheated his isolation with walks by the sea, on full moon nights.

On one of those nights, the fisherman heard the soft melody people attributed to mermaids, magical beings that, as rumor had it, seduced men and took them to the bottom of the sea.

With a racing heart, torn between fear and the desire to get closer, the young man walked dizzily towards his destination.

As he approached, he had the most astonishing view: a very beautiful woman, with long red hair, playing peacefully on the water. From her delicate neck grew gills, and in place of legs she had silver scales.

Paralyzed by fear, the young man couldn’t escape before meeting the mermaid’s eyes. From that look, was born a love capable of breaking the enchantment of the mermaid who, under the moonlight, emerged from the water and turned into a beautiful young woman.

The beach was renamed Praia Formosa and in the surroundings, you can still see the descendants of the mermaid, recognized by their unmistakable red hair.