Santa Maria

Santa Maria is the oldest and sunniest island in the Azores, and it feels different as soon as you arrive. The volcanic greens are still there, but the island also has pale cliffs, dry hills, fossil deposits, and the archipelago's most beach-like coastline. Praia Formosa is the best-known sandy beach, a rarity in the Azores, and its warmer water makes Santa Maria attractive for swimming, diving, and relaxed summer days. The east coast around Maia and São Lourenço offers terraced vineyards, bright bays, viewpoints, and a slower rural rhythm. Inland, Barreiro da Faneca, sometimes called the red desert, creates a striking contrast with the greener islands elsewhere in the group. Vila do Porto, the oldest town in the Azores, gives the island a sense of history that reaches back to the first Portuguese settlement. Santa Maria suits travellers who want beaches, geology, sunshine, diving, and a gentler pace at the eastern edge of the archipelago.