Praia de Santa Barbara, Ribeira Grande

A place definitely for surfing enthusiasts. Immaculate beach with black sand, which in this place almost magically contrasts with the blue of the ocean and various shades of green of the mountains in the background. Beautiful scenery. On the beach you can find The Portuguese Man-of-War washed up in the ocean. Take a walk along the beach and wade in the soft sand.

Very picturesque area, with a kind of sand beach, even though the sand features a somewhat darker color. However, on Sâo Miguel Island, where the basalt and lava rocks dominate, Santa Bárbara is a big deal. After the sand excavation was banned in the early 1990s, the area became very popular with the surfing crowd as well as with the aficionados of other water sports such as bodyboarding. At the right of the sign "Casamatas ao Areal de Santa Bárbara" note the circular-shaped platform nestled among the lava rocks; the spot was used by the British gunners for shore defense against German U-boats. There is an ample parking adjacent. The local beach restaurant is currently (early July 2022) under renovations.