Writer Joaquim Manuel Magalhães offers critical look at azores islands

Writer Joaquim Manuel Magalhães explores the Azores archipelago in a travel book that avoids common tourist tropes to focus on the region's social and natural realities.

The book, which Companhia das Ilhas recently added to its catalog, reflects a free-spirited approach to the islands. The author describes the islands as poor lands where the population often faces a choice between remaining in difficult conditions or moving abroad.

Magalhães notes that while the sea is a major geographic feature, it does not dominate life in the same way as agriculture and dairy farming. He observes that many residents have a limited understanding of the entire archipelago, particularly the western islands. The author also criticizes the provincial bourgeoisie and the lack of industrial development, describing some areas as tragic or abandoned due to emigration.

The work includes personal reflections on the volcanic nature of the islands, which the author views as a constant presence of death. He also shares observations on local flora, such as the use of palm leaves to sell figs and the specific names locals give to different plants. The book concludes with his personal experiences of movement and solitude across the islands.