As quiet as the island of Santa Maria is, it’s got a rather respectable amount of points of interest per km2. Aside from the ocean, it has a mountain peak, Pico Alto, measuring a whole 586 m. Hey, it’s still taller than Curaçao’s Christoffelberg or anything in the direct vicinity of the flatland that is Toronto. More curiously, Santa Maria is home to a red desert known as Barreiro da Faneca. Unique in the Azores, this landscape makes you double check if you have been accidentally teleported to Mars. Who wouldn’t want to ride a scooter on Mars?
The surreal landscape of Barreiro da Faneca.