SANTA MARIA Island - 36º 55'N and 25º 11'W
54 mi and 145 mi southeast of São Miguel and Terceira | Population - 5,552
97.42 km2
AREA
12.5 km2
LONG
7.5 km2
WIDE
Santa Maria was the first island to be discovered, circa 1427, by the Portuguese navigator Diogo de Silves. Later on, in February 1493, Christopher Columbus stopped on the island returning from his first trip to America. Following a low altitude plateau, you have a hilly area that has at Pico Alto, 590 m, its highest altitude. It is known as the Golden Island, because of the gorse and undergrowth that covers it and which lead Raul Brandão to celebrate it as "the island that smells good".
Major Attractions
- → Maia and Sao Lourenço Bays
- → Vila do Porto
