The island of Santa Maria (Santa Maria) is part of the eastern group of the Azores and is located 55 km from San Miguel. It is the oldest - according to geological data, its age is 4, 8 million years - the island which was discovered in the Azores archipelago very first.

The capital of the island is the city of Vila de Porto.

How to get to Santa Maria

• by plane: the island is located the international airport of Santa Maria. First you need to get there by plane to Lisbon, then by domestic flight of Sata airlines to Santa Maria. There are also daily flights from San Miguel Island (30 minutes flight), also operated by Sata.
• by ferry: there is a ferry service between the islands of Santa Maria and San Miguel twice a week (on the way 4 hours, cost 1 ticket about 56 euros.)
• by boat: twice a week, you can transfer to Santa Maria by boat for the transport of goods (the cost of 1 ticket is about 35 EUR + 6 EUR insurance).

Weather and climate on the island of Santa Maria

Average topics air eratura January +15 ° C, in July +22 ° C. In summer it is hot, but it is not stuffy. From September to April, rains often occur, there may be fogs. The water temperature in summer is 21-23 ° C, in winter 17-20 ° C

Transport of the island of Santa Maria

Main type of public transport - bus.

To get to know the island , you can rent a car, but it's quite expensive. You can rent a car in Lugar Cruz Teixeira (9580, Vila do Porto, 96)

Cuisine and restaurants

Santa Maria has a rich gastronomic history that includes Sopa de Nabos (turnip soup), Bolo de Panela (cake) , Caçoila (stew in traditional ceramic pots), Molho de Figado (stewed liver with sauce), Sopa de Peixe (fish soup) and Caldeirada de Peixe (mixture of fish or seafood in broth with bread) Sweet desserts, such as Suspiros (meringue), Melindres (gingerbread), Tigeladas (pudding), Biscoitos de Orelha (sugar ears) - traditional pastry of the island of Santa Maria.

Wines of San Lorenz, as well as other wines sweet liqueurs are very popular. These include the wines Abafadinho and Abafado (fortified), Licor de Amore (liqueur), Licor de Leito (milk liqueur) and Aguardente, which are cooked using traditional methods and recipes.

Entertainment, excursions and attractions of Santa Maria

On the island you can see many small mansions, as well as the famous church of Nossa Senhora dos Anjos with a chapel, in which the entire Columbus team was praying before their first trip to the shores of the New World, which is located in the village of Anjos, where there is a bronze statue of the famous explorer Columbus.

Throughout the coast of the island there is a series of charming resort towns : Praia-Ashe iritis, where there is a beautiful church and a lot of verdant pastures, San Lorenshu, San Pedro and many others. Here you can relax by the sea on the golden beaches and go trekking or horseback excursions.

Other attractions: Church of the Holy Spirit (Igreja de Santo Espírito) and several windmills and water mills. Praia Formosa is a yellow sandy beach, one of the best in the Azores. The island has preserved the houses of the 15th century, owned by Captain Donatario, which impress with the charm of the past.

Every year, in August, rallies are held on the island of Santa Maria, due to which roads are blocked. The whole island participates in the rally, so those who are not an ardent admirer of such entertainments, it is better to avoid the days and choose another time for visiting the island.