Netflix’s crime drama Turn of the Tide is back with Season 2, revisiting the Azorean fishing town of Rabo de Peixe on São Miguel. The story is inspired by a real 2001 incident involving a lost cocaine shipment off the island.
The real 2001 incident: what’s known
In spring 2001, heavy Atlantic weather and a botched trafficking run left a large cocaine shipment adrift off Rabo de Peixe on São Miguel. Reports at the time linked the run to a vessel out of Venezuela and to a Sicilian trafficker nicknamed “O Italiano”. He allegedly tried to sink and anchor the bales near a sea cave before the swell tore them loose. Parcels washed up along the north coast and were recovered at sea, triggering a major police operation with sizeable seizures and arrests.
Anecdotes persist that some islanders, not realising what they’d found, handled the powder and even used it in kitchens or to mark football touchlines. What is documented is a spike in intoxication cases that triggered a red alert, and press accounts that the shipment was unusually pure and reportedly bound for Palma de Mallorca, before authorities clamped down
Rabo de Peixe: a village lost in the Atlantic
Set on São Miguel’s north coast, Rabo de Peixe is a quiet, tight‑knit fishing town. Life turns around the harbour, the auction hall and early‑morning runs out to sea. The Atlantic is often lively, and the place feels resolutely working‑day rather than holiday resort.
Fishing still pays the bills — catching, processing and selling — with the market busy when the boats come in. Visitors get a close look at everyday Azorean seafaring: nets mended on the quay, hulls patched, crates of tuna hauled ashore. Tourism has crept in but stays low‑key: coastal walks, black‑sand coves, and simple tascas (no‑frills eateries) serving fresh tuna, lapas grelhadas and polvo guisado. Beyond the town, the top sights on the archipelago include crater lakes and hot springs — plenty of reasons to visit the Azores.
Living in Rabo de Peixe: property for sale
Life on the Azores is slow and sea‑facing. Volcanic hills, hot springs and fishing boats set the rhythm, with weather that can turn on a dime. Living on São Miguel means days tend to revolve around early starts, long lunches and family time, while weekends are for crater‑lake walks and swims in natural pools.
As of September 2025, property prices in Ribeira Grande, where Rabo de Peixe is located, averaged around €1,765 per m², making it one of the cheaper areas to buy on São Miguel.
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