Praia Formosa
The archipelago's largest golden-sand beach, a rare sight in the Azores.
Official sourceHome / Santa Maria
Santa Maria: places to discover
DHT selection of key places to discover on Santa Maria. Use Miguel™ to adapt your day to real conditions.
Explore with Miguel™Selected places
Barreiro da Faneca
A red and ochre clay landscape nicknamed the Azorean 'mini Grand Canyon'.
Official sourceSão Lourenço
Panoramic view over an amphitheatre-shaped bay lined with vineyards.
Official sourceGOOD TO KNOW
What to know before planning your visit
This page brings together DHT editorial guidance about Santa Maria. In the Azores, weather and local conditions can change quickly, so the best choice depends on both what you want to do and the context of the moment.
Use this page to compare the available options, then let Miguel™ help you decide what to do, where to go and when to go. Recommendations remain connected to the DHT catalogue and the realities of the Azores.
DHT PERSPECTIVE
Understand before you choose
An island is more than a list of must-see places. Santa Maria: places to discover has its own landscapes, rhythms, relief and contrasts. This page gives you the main context before you choose your stops.
This is not an automatic itinerary builder. The place pages let you go deeper into each discovery; Miguel™ steps in when you move from knowledge to decision and want to decide what deserves priority today.
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Keep this guide for later
Would you like to come back to this page later? Add it to your bookmarks to easily find this DHT Azores reference guide again.
Guide to Santa Maria: places to discover — DHT Azores
MIGUEL™
Miguel™ — the decision engine designed for the Azores
Developed in-house by DHT Azores, Miguel™ was designed specifically around the realities of the archipelago. In the Azores, weather and local conditions can change quickly and completely alter the value of an outing during the day.
Miguel™ combines the available context, your preferences and the characteristics of each place to help you decide what to do, where to go and when to go. It is not simply a catalogue: it is a decision engine built for the Azores and their changing weather.
The weather changes. Your plans can too. Miguel™ helps you decide.
Discover Miguel™