Hotel Colombo

Santa Maria differs slightly in character to its neighbours through its dryer, warmer climate as the island is older, and therefore flatter and lower lying.  The small island is mountainous in the centre, with plunging cliffs and pretty hillsides sloping towards the ocean. There are great places to swim as well as dive, and the island has one of the few true pale sand beaches.

Christopher Columbus sought refuge here in 1493 on his return from America, and you can take yourself back in time to through the 15th century streets of Vila do Porto and its cliff top fort.

Fertile volcanic terraces formed by man and nature, allow vines, wheat and corn to grow. Out of the water, you can enjoy the numerous walks and swims around the stunning coastline.

Read Jo Mattock's article on the Azores published in the August 2012 issue of DIVE magazine

Santa Maria Diving

The island of Santa Maria offers a variety of dive sites to suit less experienced divers, or those ready for more challenging open sea dives in the blue. The island benefits from reasonably good underwater visibility, and offers rocky and sandy sea beds, caves and wrecks.  All diving is done from RIBs.

Please note that many dive sites in this area are subject to tides and current.  Your own reel and DSMB and experience in its use are vital pieces of kit. The dive centre will do its best to plan each dive in optimum water conditions according to the tide times.

Early booking is recommended for the peak diving months of June through to September, as space at the dive centre and on their boats is restricted.

Pedrinha

A lovely local site, a short way from the dive centre, formed of lava pinnacles. You can stay shallow or go a little deeper descending to around 30m, and enjoy weaving through the small coral formations and over the lava plateau. Moray eels, Grouper, Damsel fish and Yellow Cluster Anemone are frequently spotted at this site.

Penedia da Maia

Around 9 nautical miles to the east of the island and sitting around 100 metres from shore, the top of the pinnacles sit at about 3–12 metres. A stunning wall drops to just over 30 metres with cave features, where grouper, trevally and tube worms may be found.

Ambrosio

Do you like hanging on a moored rope in the blue, as schools of Mobula rays feed in the current? Ambrosio is a pinnacle starting at 46 metres out of reach from the recreational diver, but the moored buoy makes this dive accessible to most divers. From around late June to mid-October, the rays come to feed, sometimes joined by tuna, barracuda or other bait fish they enjoy eating.

Formigas & Dollabarat

These dives are subject to a supplement due to the length of the trip, and local conditions permitting, but highly recommended!

Formigas - This small group of islets forming a marine reserve are reached via an exciting 30 nautical mile RIB ride, during which various cetacean species may be spotted. Formigas reef has an average depth of 15 to 20 metres but drops to over 60 metre and the offshore water visibility can be very good for the region, with 60 to 100 metres not unknown. Dives can depend on the tide and current and encounters with various pelagic species are common.  This area is often dived in tandem with Dollabarat.

Dollabarat - Sitting a few nautical miles south-east of Formigas is the football pitch sized reef of Dollabarat, rising to a plateau from 1,000 metres and dropping to 100 metres depth, peaking at an average of 15 metres. The light reflects off the local coloured rock, again in off shore water visibility that is well above average for the region.  Mantas, mobula rays and sharks may be spotted, as well as numbers of island grouper and larger grouper.

How to get there

Fly to Sao Miguel on the summer direct charter (1x per week), with an overnight stay, before joining a connecting internal flight (daily), or fly scheduled with a change in Lisbon (connections currently 1x per week on Thursday, otherwise an overnight in Lisbon is required).

Regaldive recommend you travel to the Azores for diving holidays from mid-June onwards. If you'd like to travel before June, you can still enjoy the whale watching and could take a gamble on the weather for diving if you wish - we are happy to organise your holiday. The best months are July, August, September and October.

Santa Maria or the Island of the Sun is the oldest of the Azorean Islands and is renowned for its dry and warm climate. It is here that Christopher Columbus sought refuge on his return from America. Santa Maria boasts one of the best beaches in the Azores and the Baia da Praia nature reserve.

Climate

The Azores have a maritime climate with mild temperatures ranging from 16°C (60°F) in winter to a comfortable 26°C (79°F) in summer. On average there are about three to four hours of sunshine a day in winter and seven to eight in summer. Rainfall is distributed around the year, but is heavier and more frequent in winter.

Characteristic for the Azores is the wide variety of weather conditions within a short period; a single day can produce wind and calm, hot sun and showers in any combination. A typical and true remark is that if you don’t like the weather, you just have to wait 10 minutes for it to change!

Water Temperature

The waters of the Atlantic and the Gulf Stream meet at the Azores. The sea is warmed by the Gulf Stream and sea water temperature varies to a mild 17ºC (62ºF) in Winter to 24ºC (75ºF) where subtropical and Atlantic marine life live side by side.

We recommend a double layer 5mm long suit with 5 mm shortie over, or 7mm semi-dry or similar, plus hood and light gloves. If your luggage allows, dry suit divers may want to carry their suit.

Currents and Visibility

The average visibility is 15–30 metres, although certain days can offer more.

There are plenty of sites sheltered from currents, although some swell and tidal surge may be encountered. Certain dives sites, such as Formigas and Dollabarat Banks are open ocean dives and as such will only be open to experienced divers in optimum weather conditions.

Time

The Azores are -1 hours behind GMT.

Currency

The Euro.

Tipping

Service charges are usually added to hotel and restaurant bills, otherwise it is customary to leave a 10% tip. Bar staff and taxi drivers also expect tips, which usually entails rounding up of the bill to the nearest Euro.

Food

The cuisine of the Azores is rich and varied. The fish dishes, the seafood, meat and cheeses, the famous wine from Pico island (once the table wines of the Czars of Russia) and the pineapple form an enviable basis for regional cooking. Don't miss the incredible home-made biscuits and cakes on offer in local bakeries!

Activities

Follow in the footsteps of Christopher Columbus in Anjos and visit the chapel, one of the oldest on the Azores, where he attended mass after returning from America.

Climb Pico Alto in the centre of the Island for oustanding views. On the southern coast, take time to visit lovely Blue Flag beaches and natural swimming pools. Keen photographers should record the colourful window frames and borders of the traditional houses which are themed according to the specific village.

Also, enjoy whale and dolphin watching trips, visit forests, go bird watching or partake in an Island tour.

Flight Information

Packages are based on the Portuguese owned SATA airline charter route.

Quotes may be provided tailormade for travel on TAP, via Lisbon.

Sao Miguel - How to get there:
Fly to Sao Miguel, or fly scheduled from Heathrow with a change in Lisbon or Porto - several flights per week.

Flight duration - charter:
London - Ponta Delgada: 4 hours

Departure tax: None

Visas

Entry requirements vary from country to country, and it’s important to check the latest visa information well before you travel. Some destinations may allow visa-free entry for a limited period, while others require an eVisa or a visa obtained in advance. To ensure you have the correct documentation for your trip, we recommend checking the official advice from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) or contacting the relevant country’s embassy or consulate. Other nationalities should check with their own consulate/embassy.

Passports

Before you travel, make sure your passport is valid for the full duration of your trip and meets the entry requirements of your destination. Many countries require at least six months’ validity beyond your planned return date, while others may have different rules. For the most reliable and up-to-date information, visit the UK Government’s passport guidance or the official travel advice pages for your destination. Other nationalities should check with their own consulate/embassy.

If you’re planning to travel to or via an EU country (with certain exceptions) your UK passport must meet two key requirements, it must be less than 10 years old on the day you enter the country and it must be valid for at least three months after your planned departure date.

Vaccinations & Health Advice

Health and vaccination requirements differ depending on where you're travelling. Some destinations may require proof of specific vaccinations or recommend certain precautions to protect your wellbeing.

We’re not qualified to provide you with specific advice on vaccinations and strongly recommend that you contact your healthcare professional before you travel to discuss the inoculations you may need to consider.

For trusted guidance on health and vaccination advice, refer to the NHS Travel Vaccination Advice, Masta Travel Health or Travel Health Pro websites.