From a Spark to a Crew: The Launch of the Piratas e Sereias de São Miguel
Have you ever returned from a trip and felt inspired to start something completely wild?
About a week after I got back to the Azores from the United States this year, I decided to do just that: I wanted to form a local pirate and mermaid group. What started as a fun idea has quickly turned into a passionate community, and we are just getting started!
Meeting #1: Setting Sail
I initially wanted our first gathering to be on April 5th, but realizing that was Easter Sunday, I pushed it back a week. On the following Sunday at 12:00 PM, our foundational crew met.
Including myself, we had six people in total. I put together a quick presentation to pitch the vision, and everyone was instantly on board! The crew was a great mix: four expats and Anna, a local Portuguese friend I had just met in language class the week before.
During this first meeting, we brainstormed two big dreams:
- Participating in the upcoming Medieval Fair in July.
- Eventually starting a dedicated Pirate and Mermaid Museum.
We officially dubbed ourselves Piratas e Sereias de São Miguel (Pirates and Mermaids of São Miguel). To celebrate, we anchored down to watch an episode of One Piece and officially launched our WhatsApp group and Facebook page.
Meeting #2: Expanding the Fleet
Just two weeks later, word had spread. Our second meeting grew to nine people!
We had some incredible news to share. I had reached out to the organizers of the Medieval Fair, and they gave us an enthusiastic "yes!" They invited us to march in their grand parade and even offered us a spot to set up a boat display for the rest of the festival days.
But the excitement didn’t stop there. They also invited our mermaids to be a part of the local Flower Festival.
The Mermaid Logistics Dilemma
I brought the Flower Festival idea back to the group, and two of our members, Oliver and Anna, were thrilled to participate. It turned out Oliver actually owned three mermaid tails!
However, we hit a hilarious logistical snag: Mermaids can’t exactly walk down a parade route. I called the organizers back to ask if they had a float for them. Initially, they didn't have a solution, and all the main floats were fully booked. Just when we thought we were out of luck, Marco stepped in with a brilliant solution: our mermaids could ride on the Ribeirinha float!
With that final piece of the puzzle locked in, our brand-new, small-but-mighty pirate group officially booked three major local events: the Medieval Fair, the Flower Festival, and the annual celebration and parade in our very own town of Ribeirinha this August!
Meeting #3: Making Big Waves
The momentum kept building. Shortly after, I was attending a local surf art show and crossed paths with two brothers who are massive pirate enthusiasts. I invited them along, and they joined us for our third meeting, bringing a ton of passion and knowledge to the crew.
It is amazing to look back at how quickly this grew. What started with just a few of us sitting around a table has blossomed into a thriving community. Our digital fleet has already expanded to 82 members on Facebook! While many are international supporters who may never set foot on the island, their enthusiasm keeps the wind in our sails.
Things are proceeding right along, and we can't wait to show São Miguel what the Piratas e Sereias can do this summer.
Join the Crew!
Want to follow our adventures, see behind-the-scenes prep, or join the group? Set sail over to our official Piratas e Sereias de São Miguel Facebook Group and request to join! Stay tuned to the Golden Mermaid Villa blog for more updates as we get closer to festival season.
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Anthony “Tiger” Liu is an American expat and the operator of Golden Mermaid Villa and Longevity Habit community where he shares a passion for the vibrant culture and nourishing lifestyle of São Miguel.
