This route starts next to the Church of the Holy Spirit, in the parish of Holy Spirit, follow until you reach the Waterfall on the River of Aveiro. After passing through the tip of the Castle towards the locality of Maia, until you reach the Lighthouse of Gonçalo Velho. There you will find a way of standing desk that descends to the sea, along which you can observe several species of local flora, as well as a magnificent view of the coast of Malbusca. Getting there below you will find the ruins of an old factory of the whale, and …
The route begins by a dirt path-the Canada of Atoleiros-that rises until it reaches the two windmills in ruins, already in place of Arrebentão. Then reaches the "quarry Pit", where it was removed the stone for construction of typical houses of Mariana. A little ahead you will find a detour that takes you to the top of a hill which offers a unique view over the Bay of San Lorenzo. After arriving to the village from the North. In this place you will find the only Church of the Azores with the doors facing north: Church of our Lady of …
The path begins in a tarmac road that climbs towards the Pico Alto (587 m), the highest peak of Santa Maria. Then follows up a thicket of cater toward the Floor of John Thomas. Here you can see some plants of the Laurissilva forest, such as pau-branco, Heather, uva-da-serra, tamujo, Laurel, among others. More ahead the Barreiro da Faneca, known as "Red Desert of the Azores", because it is composed of reddish clay soils. Already at the end, still time to visit the Furna DAS.
Along the coast of Santa Maria island there are several islets of considerable dimensions, most notably the Ilhéu de São Lourenço, accessible only by boat.
The area consists of the coves and cliffs on the coast and Prainha Regional is classified as a nature reserve by the existence of sedimentary formations and marine fossils. For anyone who wants to visit the reserve can do it, until a certain point, by car. The remaining path is done on foot.
