Things to do on Santa Maria
Nine essential experiences spread across a 3 to 5 day stay. Santa Maria mixes beach time with history and distinctive Azorean attractions (the only sand, the oldest town, manta rays).
1. Spend a day at Praia Formosa
The best beach in the archipelago. Golden sand, calm turquoise water, lifeguard service in summer, restaurants and bars on the seafront. A full beach day with lunch on the sand. See the beaches guide for the full beach map of the island.
2. Walk through Vila do Porto
The oldest town in the Azores, founded in 1432. The historic centre runs along the cliff above the small natural harbour. Key stops: Forte de São Brás (16th- century fortress, now a small museum, €3 entry), the Igreja Matriz church, the cobbled main square. Allow 1.5 hours for the walking circuit. Combine with lunch in one of the central tascas.
3. The Columbus chapel at Anjos
The Capela de Nossa Senhora dos Anjos, a small white chapel near the village of Anjos on the north coast. Christopher Columbus stopped here on 18 February 1493 to take Mass on his return voyage from the Caribbean. The chapel walls record the visit in a 16th-century inscription. Free, always open. Combine with a stop at the small pebble beach below the cliff.
4. Drive to Pico Alto
The 587-metre summit at the centre of the island, reached via a 4 km drive from the EN1 to the parking area, then a 5-minute walk to the viewpoint. On clear days the view covers the whole island and the southern tip of São Miguel 80 km north. Best at sunset. Free, always open.
5. Dive at Banco de Dollabarat
The submarine reef 40 km south of Santa Maria, the only reliable manta ray dive site in Atlantic Europe. Specialist operators run trips from Vila do Porto, June to October only. Around €120 to €180 per dive day (two dives included). Open-water certification required, plus the operator may require recent logged dives. Dolphins and tuna are common bycatch sightings.
6. Maia pottery village
The small village of Maia on the south coast, famous for the local pottery industry using the yellow barreiro clay quarried inland. The Casa do Barreiro visitor centre demonstrates the traditional technique and sells finished pieces. €4 entry, 60 minutes. The pottery is the most distinctive souvenir from Santa Maria; pieces range from €15 (small) to €120 (large bowls).
7. The Santa Maria Airport history
The airport has the longest commercial runway in the Azores (3,000 m), built as a US WWII base. The small aviation museum at the airport (€3 entry) covers the Zeppelin stopover era, the WWII military period, and the transition to civilian use in 1945. Display includes original aircraft parts and 1940s photographs. Allow 60 minutes. Worth combining with an arrival or departure.
8. Maré de Agosto festival (mid-August)
The biggest music festival in the Azores. Three days of live music on the sand of Praia Formosa, Portuguese and international acts. The island doubles in population. Books out 4 to 6 months ahead. Tickets €40 to €70 per day; multi-day passes around €100.
9. Slow rural drive through the smaller villages
The ring road (40 km total) plus interior detours covers most of the island in a full day. Recommended clockwise stops from Vila do Porto: Praia Formosa, São Lourenço bay, Anjos and the Columbus chapel, Maia pottery, Almagreira village, Santo Espírito village, back to Vila do Porto. Slow lunch in one of the village restaurants. The landscape is yellow tuff farmland, very unlike the green islands further north.