Poço da Pedreira – Santa Maria Island

Located in the parish of Santa Bárbara, the Poço da Pedreira is one of the major tourist attractions on the Island of Santa Maria.

This former decommissioned quarry site is striking for its unique reddish coloration and the vertical formation of its walls.

The accumulated water forms this well, which meets the stone wall known as “cantaria mariense,” and features a lookout point for a privileged view of this location.

Among the various geotouristic attractions on the island, located in the southwestern end of the Azores archipelago, this is one of the most prominent.

Poço da Pedreira
Fotografia de Alberto El

A Stunning and Unique Setting

The Poço da Pedreira is a characteristic example of the integration of natural and human actions in landscape formation. The extraction of huge blocks of stone sculpted the basalt rock.

Of volcanic origin, the stones extracted served as the foundation for constructing much of the island’s buildings and were also transported to other locations and islands in the archipelago.

The path to this site can be walked, with a trail running between the mountains and the sea up to Pico Vermelho, so named because of the pronounced coloration of the material that forms it.

Santa Maria also hosts various other attractions and bases its economy on agriculture, fishing, and the tertiary sector, with tourism and water sports standing out.

The island’s tourism vocation is favored by easy access, as the intense aeronautical activity of Santa Maria Airport acts as a driving force for the entire region.

Additionally, the Atlantic Control Center, also based on the island, highlights its geographical importance and enables the development of necessary infrastructure to welcome visitors.

The Poço da Pedreira complements the rich architectural heritage scattered throughout the island, offering unforgettable attractions to tourists and consolidating the region as an economic, religious, and cultural hub.