Exotic sands
Praia Formosa
Santa Maria, Azores · 🇵🇹 Portugal
Local gemEurope
The Azores' one true golden beach, tucked under vine terraces on sunny Santa Maria.
Open Praia Formosa on the interactive map →- Sea temperature
- ~23°C in the warm season
- Water
- Clear mid-Atlantic blue, mellow through summer
- Sand
- Genuine pale-gold sand — a rarity in the basalt-black Azores
- Swimming
- Good, gently shelving summer swimming; winter storms strip the sand back to cobbles
- Surf
- Small summer peelers, proper winter swell
- Best time to visit
- Jun-Sep
- Setting
- A vineyard-terraced bay on the south coast of the Azores' sunniest island, stage of the Maré de Agosto festival each August
- Beach type
- Exotic sands
- Region
- Europe
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Praia do GuinchoCascais, Lisbon Coast, Portugal
Praia do NorteNazaré, Portugal
More exotic sands beaches
Playa de MaspalomasMaspalomas, Gran Canaria, Spain
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Praia Formosa: frequently asked questions
Where is Praia Formosa?
Praia Formosa is at Santa Maria, on the coast of Portugal.
What is the sea temperature at Praia Formosa?
In the warm season the sea at Praia Formosa reaches about 23°C. Clear mid-Atlantic blue, mellow through summer.
When is the best time to visit Praia Formosa?
The best time to visit Praia Formosa is Jun-Sep. Europe's beach season peaks in July and August, with June and September quieter and cheaper.
What kind of sand does Praia Formosa have?
Praia Formosa has genuine pale-gold sand — a rarity in the basalt-black Azores.
Is Praia Formosa good for swimming?
Good, gently shelving summer swimming; winter storms strip the sand back to cobbles.
Can you surf at Praia Formosa?
Small summer peelers, proper winter swell.