Santa Maria Island Jeep Safari: Full Day Off-road Exploration
5.0
6 Ratings
Forte de Sao Bras
Embark on a full-day off-road exploration of Santa Maria Island on our Jeep Safari. Discover hidden details and points of interest from a unique perspective, with expert interpretation of history, culture, fauna, and flora.
Duration:
10 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Forte de Sao Bras - Start at Forte São Brás and learn about its historical importance in defending the island;
- Baia dos Anjos - On Anjos, visit the tidal pools as well as the first church of the Azores. Also, find out about Cristopher Columbus memorable stopover in the island.
- Barreiro da Faneca - Barreiro da Faneca, a well-known geosite will surely take your breath away with its Mars-lookalike landscape
- Miradouro das Lagoinhas - Still on the North of the island, take a glance at Ilhéu das Lagoinhas and stop at Santa Bárbara parish where its inhabitants take great pride at preserving Santa Maria’s unique architecture
- Poco da Pedreira - On the way to São Lourenço, the most beautiful bay of the Azores, you’ll visit another memorable geosite of the island – an abandoned quarry whose intense extraction in the past lead to an amazing scenery – Poço da Pedreira.
- Miradouro Sao Lourenco - Visit São Lourenço, the most beautiful bay in the Azores
- Santo Espirito - Santo Espírito will be next, the parish owning the greatest example of the Azorean baroque-style – its remarkable church;
- Farol de Goncalo Velho - Down we go to Maia, another well-known bay if the island for its vineyard landscape as well as Cascata do Aveiro, second tallest waterfall in Portugal;
- Ribeira do Maloas - Now well on the South Coast, another famous geosite rests for contemplation – Ribeira do Maloás. It’s pillarlike structures are result of horizontal contraction ocurred as the lava cooled down. Similar to Giant’s Causeway in Ireland, but cooler.
- Pico Alto - Next to Pico Alto, highest point of the island where you can get a 360º view and appreciate all you have seen so far (if weather conditions allow it!).
- Praia Formosa - Finish the tour at Praia Formosa, the most popular sand beach of the Azores and host of the oldest uninterrupted music festival in Portugal, Festival Maré de Agosto since 1984.
What's Included
- Enjoy a lunch included in the tour.
- Receive a detailed island map for navigation.
What's Not Included
- Snacks
Additional Information
Santa Maria Island holds a plethora of sights beyond the usual tourist vantage points – there are aspects you can only experience if you opt for an off-road adventure. Our Jeep Safari offers you the opportunity to explore the island’s primary attractions from a unique perspective. We also provide insights into the notable historical, cultural, and ecological aspects of what you witness.
Location
Forte de Sao Bras
Freguesia de Vila do Porto
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(6 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Sanhen78
Jan 21, 2024
Must-do tour in Santa Maria (Azores) - Fun and informative tour with a knowledgeable guide who showed me all the sides of Santa Maria: natural, architectural, and cultural.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mark_l
Sep 10, 2023
Best tour ever - We had the most memorable tour with Henry as our driver on our tour of Santa Maria… he was fantastic!! He was so friendly, personable, extremely well educated in island culture; history ; architecture; farming; absolutely everything anything we asked about. He entertained us the whole time.
He ended up being a great friend … we love him!!!
Mark and Belinda Liddell
Gary and Cidalia Allen ( the crazy friends)
We look forward to tour with Henry again !!
Review provided by Viator
Jennifermn8650sg
Jul 30, 2023
Best tour we experienced - Enrique was an amazing guide - enthusiast about the culture history and flora and fauna of the island- the best tour guide we had in the Azores by far!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marisa064
Jul 24, 2023
Marvelous tour! - Been traveling all over the world for more then 30 years and did a lot of guided tours everywhere and most of them were good, but yesterday I really had the best tour of my life!
Henrique appeared to be a very enthousiastic, smart and kind person who told and showed me so many interesting things with so much passion for the island he lives on, that he really made me fall in love with this beautiful island within a few hours.
So look no further if you want to have the ultimate tour experience on Santa Maria.
I'll certainly be back!
Review provided by Tripadvisor