Santa Maria is an island that fascinates

Santa Maria is an island that fascinate. The beauty of its built heritage (man-made historic environment such as houses, factories, buildings, places of worship, monuments and built infrastructure such as roads, etc) merges with the greatness of its natural heritage. Santa Maria's geological formations and its fossil heritage, unique in the Azores that has been object of study by national and international scientists, and for a better acknowledgement, you can visit the "Centro de Interpretação Ambiental Dalberto Pombo" that will help you understand its importance. At the Environmental Interpretation Center you can also get to know better the protected areas of the island that are part of Santa Maria's Natural Park, and that are under its management.