Santa Maria

Shaped like an amphitheatre and surrounded by vineyards planted up the slope, it features a beach and tidal pools which are enjoyed by many visitors during the summer.

Installato in una tipica casa rurale del XX secolo, il museo è composto da collezioni di mobili ed utensili tradizionali dell’isola.  Esiste anche un nucleo dedicato alla vita quotidiana, con una mostra di vari artefatti in ceramica prodotti della tradizionale manifattura in terracotta dell’isola.

Dedicated to the patron saint of the island, this is one of the oldest churches built in the archipelago. It has been changed throughout the centuries, due to looting, fire and reconstruction, but it still keeps some elements of the original structure.

La zona balneare di Maia è costituita da una piscina naturale d’acqua salata intorno alla quale sono state costruite varie infrastrutture. Si avvista da qui il Faro di Maia, una presenza forte che domina su tutto il paesaggio.

Riserva Forestal è situata sulle pendici occidentali del Pico Alto, la più alta elevazione dell’Isola di Santa Maria, in pieno sistema montuoso centrale.

La Riserva Forestale di Valverde è quasi il parco urbano di Vila do Porto, data la corta distanza che la separa dal paese ed il forte carattere antropico di cui si riveste.

A semi-desert, arid and clayish landscape, red in colour, it is usually called “red desert”. This is a unique protected landscape area of the Azores of approximately 8.35 square km, and includes the Bays of Raposo, Tagarete and Cré.

Located in the north part of the island, the chapel where Christopher Columbus attended Mass on his return trip from America is still standing.

This is considered to be the first temple built on these islands. Christopher Columbus prayed there when he returned from America. Inside this chapel, there is a tile panel and a triptych altar which probably belonged to Gonçalo Velho Cabral, who was the first settler of Santa Maria.

The Dalberto Pombo Environmental Interpretation Centre (CIADP) resulted of the reconstruction of an old historic building in Vila do Porto. 

This Centre houses the collections of the naturalist Dalberto Pombo, true pioneer in the study of the geological and biological diversity of Santa Maria and aims to promote the natural heritage in a dynamic and interactive way, with educational and scientific approach.

To know more about the marine fossils, unique in Azores and of international importance, it was created a new space in the Centre, the Fossils’ House.

At the Centre, visitors have the opportunity to establish direct contact with real stuffed animals, such as butterflies and beetles of the Azores and of the world, migratory birds with stops on the island, and learn about the journey of the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta).

In the Fossils’ House there is a 3D video about the geologic formation of the island with focus on the paleontological richness importance in the international context. It also gives the opportunity to learn about some of the world prestigious investigators on the areas of geology, paleontology, biogeography and stratigraphy. This space also has an educational game where the visitors have the experience to be paleontologists.