Santa Maria Holidays
Santa Maria Holidays – A gentle Azores island
Santa Maria holidays feature the third smallest island in the Azores, with an area of 38 square miles and a population of just 6000. Those looking for tranquillity and relaxation will find Santa Maria holidays exceptionally rewarding. The island is a gorgeously restful patchwork of intense greens, yellows and browns, imbued with a tremendous sense of calm. The island’s position in the south of the archipelago ensures Santa Maria holidays enjoy the driest and sunniest weather in the Azores. Santa Maria holidays also owe their popularity to the island’s beautiful coastline and fine white sandy beaches, considered the best beaches in the Azores. Popular Santa Maria beaches include Praia Formosa and Sao Laurenco Bay, a good spot for watersports. Santa Maria holidays also attract keen speleologists, birdwatchers and big game fishing enthusiasts.
Santa Maria Holidays – Quaint settlements
Most holidays on Santa Maria are based around the harbour town of Vila do Porto, the oldest settlement in the Azores, with an attractive historic centre and 16th century port. Take a look at the attractive craftwork and pottery. All Santa Maria holidays should include a tour of the island and visits to quaint settlements like Santa Barbara, Anos and Sao Pedro. Summer holidays on Santa Maria could include a ferry trip to the neighbouring island of Sao Miguel.
Holidays in Santa Maria – Among the best in the Azores
Those looking for gentler, less forbidding landscapes than islands like Pico or Faial will find Santa Maria holidays offer restful green pastures, fields of bright yellow cereals and picturesque vineyards. Walking holidays on Santa Maria offer an attractive combination of flat fertile farmland and the hillier eastern half of the island, rising to Pico Alto. Make sure you visit fabulous nature reserves like Baia da Praia and Ilheus das Formigas, and the forests, peaks and dramatic cliffs in the east. Early summer holidays on Santa Maria will enjoy the best of the island’s wild flowers.
