Santa Maria Island
Santa Maria is about 55 miles from S. Miguel island (around 30 minutes by plane). It is the third smallest island of the Azores, known as the “Yellow Island”. The surface area is approximately of 38 sq miles (97 km2). The island has about 5500 inhabitants. The municipal seat is located in the parish of Vila do Porto.
The green plaid of the fields; ripe, yellow crops; the dots of white-washed houses with lace-like chimneys; the black of the artistically chiseled basalt in the facades of churches; the rainbow color of the flowers; the dark ochre of the fertile earth; the gold of the sandy beaches; the palette of hues like a living water-color that is Santa Maria; the joy of folk festivities; the delicacies of a traditional cuisine: all this makes Santa Maria stand out as a unique island in the Azores.