Horta, Portugal - The island of Faial in the Azores is a small paradise where the Atlantic's foaming waves break upon a black volcanic shoreline.

There are just 13 communities on Faial, 12 of which lie right on the coast, and surrounding the island is an azure blue ocean with fertile green pastures the main feature of the interior.

With some luck, visitors to Faial will spot a whale at sea while standing upon one of the island's coastal roads that are lined by hydrangeas.

A short distance behind the main town of Horta, a farmer with hardly a care in the world, leads three, well-fed cows along a road a manifestation of the fact that Faial has more cattle than inhabitants.

That may sound idyllic, but the island's landscape has also been sculpted by volcanic activity and Faial regularly experiences earth tremors.

"There are earthquakes here every 20 years. The last one was 10 years ago," recalls Sandra Dart who was born on Faial where her family has lived for hundreds of years.

"There was a large eruption in 1672," she says, adding, "It caused the first wave of emigration to Brazil."

Lava stone and craters can be found all over the island. In the southeast, looking down from Monte da Guia, there are two water-filled craters.

The largest is 123 metres deep, the other 26 metres. This area of the island is a nature reserve.

The last major eruption occurred 50 years ago between 1957 and 1958 over a period of 13 months.

Before that event 30,000 people lived on Faial, but the eruption led to a major decline in population and about 15,000 people live here today.

Many of those who left emigrated to New York due in part perhaps to its proximity to the west.

It also explains why so many people from North America come to Faial every year and many of them are former islanders.

One thing they have in common is a visit to the lighthouse in the island's west which stands right beside the scene of the 1957/1958 eruption.

At that time, volcanic ash rained down for months upon the lighthouse, burying half of it. To this day, the lower floor remains hidden from view.

But the lighthouse is also a symbol of the islanders' ability to survive and it is one of the main attractions Faial has to offer.

In August 2008, a museum opened in the lighthouse that is dedicated to volcanology and which documents the events of 50 years ago.

A multimedia show also explains in detail the events of those 13 tumultuous months.

It all began with a series of tremors spread over 15 days. Then, on September 27, 1957, an island formed about one kilometre from shore due to an outbreak by the volcano of Capelinhos.

By late October, however, it had vanished into the sea.

Underground volcanic activity soon led to a new island being formed which once again sank below the waves again.

Then a third and much larger island formed and joined itself to Faial. This is the land that is visible today.

"Faial grew by 2.4 kilometres," says Sandra Dart. The first eruption where lava streamed out of the ground happened in December
1957.

That was followed by continuous tremors and volcanic activity under the sea followed by an explosion that hurled tonnes of ash into the air.

Not until October 24, 1958 did the volcano become quiet and Faial's westerly coastline received a new face.

Nobody was killed during the eruptions, but many homes were destroyed and the fields that were covered by ash have been lost forever.

The area around the lighthouse still looks like a black desert on another planet - but spectacularly beautiful at the same time.

Internet: www. visit-azores. com, www. visitportugal. com (dpa)