S. Vicente Ferreira offers a coastal trail along the north coast of São Miguel, a natural swimming pool and designated natural and cultural heritage sites. There are also festivals that take place in recurring periods from June to August. This gives you a range of ways to choose what to focus on at your destination: you can make the coastal trail, swimming area, individual heritage sites or a festival the main focus of your stay.

Coastal Trail and Swimming Area

The Vigia de São Pedro trail connects São Vicente Ferreira with Calhetas and runs along the north coast of the island of São Miguel. It starts beside Poços de São Vicente, a bathing area near the fishing harbour. Poços de São Vicente is a natural swimming pool in São Vicente Ferreira. This gives you two different coastal options for your trip: a route between two places and a bathing area within the parish. If you plan to walk the trail, check the latest information before setting out, as its operational status may change.

The bathing area is easily accessible and has toilets, a bar and a car park. It is supervised year-round. As facilities may change, it is advisable to briefly check whether they are available before visiting. For planning purposes, it helps to consider the swimming pool and trail as separate offerings: Poços de São Vicente is the bathing area, while Vigia de São Pedro follows the coastline and connects to Calhetas. This will help you decide whether you would rather include time by the water or a route along the north coast in your itinerary.

Natural and Cultural Heritage

The Miradouro de São Vicente Ferreira is part of the natural heritage of São Vicente Ferreira. The Igreja Paroquial de São Vicente Ferreira is part of its religious heritage, and the Fontanário da Atafona is part of its cultural heritage. At the former site of the “fábrica da Baleia”, a chimney and a winch remain; both are also classified as cultural heritage. In addition, fountains more than a hundred years old can be found on several streets in the parish. These names help distinguish the different points of interest: the viewpoint, church, fountain and surviving features of the former factory site each offer their own point of reference. While some heritage sites are individually named, the older fountains are spread across several streets.

Festivals Throughout the Year

The festival calendar also offers several dates to plan around. The Festas de São João da Atafona take place in June. The Festas do Baleeiro fall on the third weekend of July and run from Thursday to Sunday. The Festas do Padroeiro “São Vicente Ferrer” are celebrated on the penultimate Sunday in August. Unlike the June festival’s month-long timeframe, the Baleeiro festival lasts several days; the August festival, meanwhile, follows a specific Sunday scheduling rule. The exact calendar dates may vary from year to year. So if you are planning your trip around one of the festivals, check the dates for that year.

When looking for a holiday rental, it may help to decide first on your travel dates and what you want to focus on. A festival follows a seasonal scheduling rule, while the coastal trail, swimming area and heritage sites appeal to different interests. You can then match your choice of accommodation with the things that interest you in S. Vicente Ferreira.

Discover more destinations: Ponta Delgada, Pico Da Pedra, Agua De Alto, Ribeira Seca, Achada, Capelas, Rabo De Peixe, Lagoa

For the wider travel overview: S.Miguel.