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VISITOR
Pedra de Lume Salt Flats
Located on the east coast of the island, in the town that gives them their name, they are characterized by a set of marinas existing in a pyroclastic caldera of an extinct volcano. Salinas values are related to both natural aspects, namely the unique scenic beauty, existence of endemic species of birds and plants of scientific interest, namely Bugs Bunny (Himantopus himantopus), Heron (Ardea senerea) and Perna Verde (Tringa) nebularia), as well as the historical / cultural aspects that, with the salt exploration, started in the late 1700s and early 1800s by the important trader, Manuel António Martins, boosted the settlement and development of the island.
The salt flats are one of the biggest tourist attractions in the municipality, being sought by national and international visitors, both for therapeutic purposes as well as for historical and heritage reasons.
Morrinho de Açúcar
It constitutes the Beauty, uniqueness and representativeness of a geological element of high visual incidence, as it constitutes the remains of a phonolytic chimney, anchored in the middle of an extensive plain and representative of the volcanic nature of the island.
Buracona and Regona
Located to the west of the island, these two beautiful places constitute a sector of the insular coast very representative from the geological and landscape point of view, due to the presence of singular volcanic forms such as padded lava and volcanic tubes, volcanic caves, unique in this genre.
Buracona is the most famous of the dives and it is an underwater tunnel that enters by land, with a large hole where the sunlight produces spectacular effects.
Regona is a set of very large caves, with direct connections to the open sea, which allow marine life inside the caves, where you can see large fish and crustaceans.
They are considered as natural pools of hot and calm water with a constant crystalline blue. We can find some endemic plants typical of the island, the most well-known Mustard Brabo (Diplotaxis glauca) and some birds such as the Sparrow (Passer iagoensis). The famous “blue eye” is the biggest tourist attraction on this coast.
Santa Maria Beach
It has an unparalleled scenic beauty, searched worldwide, since the last century, by nationals and foreigners, not only for its attractive bathing and water sports, but also for the health benefits. It had and has an important role for the local and national tourism development, thus constituting an economic attraction par excellence. Its natural features are in its extensive 8 km of white sand beach and exceptional warm water of turquoise and crystalline color and where it is possible to glimpse, in a dive, species such as Moray eels, rays, dolphins, schools of diverse fish, and ntre others.
Serra Negra
It is located in the southwest of the island and is one of the most important habitats for seabirds on the island, such as Guincho (Pandion haliaetus). The length of this small mountain range runs from southwest to northeast, its length of about 1.5 to 2 km, the width between 500 to 600 m and the height only about 96 m. The mountain is composed of rocks with an orange, tan and light brown colored soil. Its entity as a geological and geomorphological unit, presence of endemic species and nesting of emblematic species such as the Turtle Caretta caretta and of importance for conservation worldwide, make this place a key space for the maintenance of biodiversity. These particularities enrich the surrounding landscape, providing the Serra with a place of unparalleled scenic beauty and a viewpoint par excellence (it offers a panoramic view of much of the island, including the city of Espargos, the airport and the city of Santa Maria)
Morrinho das Pedras
Morrinho das Pedras - on a plain that is close to the Amílcar Cabral International Airport. It is a small gray magmatic hill with a height of about ten meters, but of great importance at a geological level, due to the particularities of the lithotypes that translate into translucent nepheline crystals. The concentration of large quantities of these crystals in the stone develops particular sound characteristics called Phonilitic.
Costa da Fragata
It forms a corridor of sands of high ecological value, making the beach the point of entry for them, which are distributed throughout the southern sector of the Island. Its biodiversity involves symbolic species such as the tortoise Caretta caretta, endemic plants such as Tarafe (Tamarix senegalensis), sea birds, namely Pirlito-Sanderlingo (Caladris alba) and Coleira Sandpiper (Charadrius alexandrinus).
Along with its beauty and natural value, the favorable conditions of the Costa for the practice of nautical sport are added, which appears as a unique tourist attraction. It is also worth noting the fact that, in 1948, a Danish ship called Danfjord was wrecked on the spot, originating the rescue of those rescued by the local population, an act traditionally called “moy-moy”. That was how part of the coast became known as Praia D'Anfior.
Monte Grande
Of volcanic origin, it is located 6 km northwest of the island, it is mainly represented by the geological value of its recent materials, with sectors of pillow-lavas on the coast. It constitutes the highest topographic relief of the Island, with its 406 meters of altitude above sea level. Monte Grande is one of the favorite habitats of winches on the island, home to some endemic plants and is the place on the island where terrestrial reptiles such as Geckos and Osgas are best preserved.
Ponta de Sinó
It is on the south end of the island, in the town of Santa Maria. The importance of this area is based on the conservation of the beaches, due to its ecological value related to the biological cycle of the turtles and the ecosystem of the salty lands to receive local and migratory birds such as Herons (Ardea senerea), European swallows (Hirundo rustica) and Great Egret (Egretta garzetta)), as well as for the geomorphological and landscape value of the dune system. Historically, Ponta do Sinó has played an important role in maritime navigation, from the secular construction of the Lighthouse (with the same name) to the orientation of vessels that approach the coast.
Morrinho do Filho
It is located in the northern part of the island and has a geological and landscape value. The complex geological processes allowed its formation and geomorphological evolution, until it originated a prominent relief in the middle of sedimentary and rocky plains of that part of the Island, surrounded by a small extension of sub-aerial lavas.
Salinas de Santa Maria
They are located to the North of the Santa Maria nucleus and are totally surrounded by the Costa da Fragata Nature Reserve. The Salinas de Santa Maria are of a singular natural beauty where we can find migratory birds such as the long-legged (Himantopus himantopus), the Heron (Ardea senerea) and the Perna Verde (Tringa nebularia), of global importance, which endows scientific value and tourist interest. These salt pans are an important local historical value because they are linked to the birth of Santa Maria as an urban space and as an engine of the island's socioeconomic development, since the 18th century, caused by the saline industry developed there, with Manuel António Martins, an influential trader and politician from era, its biggest driver.
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