Travel Tips
Essential information for visiting the Azores
Santa Maria geology: the fossil quarry, the red clay barreiros and which geosites to see
Santa Maria, the oldest Azorean island, has 15 sites on the Azores Geopark list. Here is what each one shows and how to reach it: the fossil-and-pillow-lava quarry at Pedreira do Campo, the Figueiral cliff, the red clay of Malbusca and Faneca, the Maloás basalt columns, and a day plan that fits them together.
Getting around Santa Maria: car hire, taxis and the island bus
Santa Maria is small, but its buses are few: an hourly town-to-airport route on weekdays, a summer beach bus to Praia Formosa and Anjos, and little else. Where to hire a car, the 2026 bus times, how to get a taxi, which walks need a pick-up, and a plan by length of stay.
Baía de São Lourenço on Santa Maria: the vineyard bay, its viewpoints and how to spend a day there
The Baía de São Lourenço is a bowl of walled vineyard terraces dropping to a pale-sand beach on Santa Maria's north-east coast, protected since 1987. Where to see it from, the two trails that walk you in, the Ilhéu do Romeiro offshore, swimming in the 2026 season, and the wine project reviving the terraces.
Planning a trip to Santa Maria: flights, the summer boat, where to stay and how many days
SATA Air Açores flies from Ponta Delgada to Santa Maria in about 30 minutes, and in summer 2026 the only sea link was a cargo ship taking 16 passengers. Vila do Porto is the natural base, two to four nights covers the island, and the Maré de Agosto festival in the second half of August books up rooms and flights early.
Walking Santa Maria: the Grande Rota round the island and the short trails worth your day
The Grande Rota de Santa Maria is a 78.6 km circuit from Vila do Porto in four stages, with no wild camping allowed. Six short trails cover the highlights in a day or two, from the red clay of the Barreiro da Faneca to Pico Alto at 587 m. Distances, times and which one to pick.
Santa Maria beaches, Azores: where to swim and when
Santa Maria has four Blue Flag bathing areas: Praia Formosa, São Lourenço, Anjos and Maia. Which one suits the swell, lifeguard dates and sea temperature.
Planning Your Trip?
Complete guides to events and travel on the island.