Designed mainly according to the Late Gothic style, the main facade of Manueline style stands out for the royal coat of arms and the shield with the arrows of the martyrdom of St. Sebastian. It was later changed in the eighteenth century.
On the south facade, there are two busts identified as King John III and Queen Catherine of Austria.
One of the most iconic monuments of Ponta Delgada, the Portas da Cidade (City Gates) were built in the eighteenth century next to the old quay and then transferred to the Gonçalo Velho Cabral Square during construction of the seaside Prince Henry Avenue.
Composed of three arches, featuring in the middle the royal and the city’s coat of arms, these gates are the city’s postcard.
Inaugurated on the 31st of March of 1951, Teatro Micaelense was designed by the renowned architect Raul Rodrigues de Lima, a specialist in cinema and theater rooms. Then emerged in Ponta Delgada a sizeable theater, in an urban space specifically stripped to host it.
For its historical and architectural value, the building of Teatro Micaelense was classified as Public Interest Site by the Azores Regional Government.
Founded in 1876 by Carlos Maria Gomes Machado, this museum is situated in the former Santo André Convent, initially assembling collections of Azorean Natural History (zoology, botanic, geology, mineralogy).
Later, the museum extended its collection, including sacred art, regional ethnography, painting, tile art, sculpture, gold and silver work and old toys.
Portas do Mar is a complex that offers a maritime cruise terminal and ferries (inter-island trips), a marina, a swimming pool, underground parking and amphitheater, a commercial space, restaurants and shops.
By allowing the mooring of modern cruise ships, Portas do Mar has inscribed the city and the island in the route of oceanic cruise ships, boosting tourism in terms of commerce and services.
The largest show house of the Azores was inaugurated on May 10, 1917 and completely recovered in 2004 and 2005.
The Coliseu Micaelense, with a capacity for about 1300 seated people, offers shows as diverse as ballet, theater, opera and rock, or in an open-air arena, for circuses, dances and fashion, banquets and café-concerts, exhibitions and congresses.
Dating back to the nineteenth century, this chapel was built at the site of an old defence structure of Ponta Delgada. It has a bell tower; it is surrounded by a garden, and it provides a beautiful view over the harbour. It still showcases today the remains of walls, bastions and casemates.
Commissioned in the sixteenth century to defend the city against attacks of corsairs and pirates, the Fort of St. Blaise was the most important fortification of the city’s defence system, strategically located to the west of the narrow strip of land after which Ponta Delgada was named.
A nature reserve since 1974, this crater lake reaches a maximum depth of 30 metres.
Very near Lagoa do Fogo, you can find Caldeira Velha, a waterfall of warm, iron water where you can take a dip, it is located on the north slope of the Fogo Volcano.
One of the 7 Natural Wonders of Portugal, it showcases the Green and Blue Lakes, which according to legend, were formed from the tears of a shepherd and a princess who shared a forbidden love.
These lakes can be seen from the Vista do Rei (King’s View) Lookout, named after King D. Carlos and Queen D. Amélia to celebrate their visit to the island in 1901.
The Furnas Valley is well known for their hot springs, namely the "Caldeiras", Poça da Beija and thermal pools. In addition, Furnas are known for the magnificent botanical garden Parque Terra Nostra.
Also traditional of Furnas are the "bolo lêvedo" (a kind of sweet bread) and the curious stew where the ingredients are cooked under the earth by the heat of the volcanoes, in the margin of the Furnas Lake.
Here you can find many touristic attractions such as Miradouro da Ponta do Sossego, Miradouro da Ponta da Madrugada, Serra da Tronqueira, Farol do Arnel, Parque Natural dos Caldeirões, among other sightseeing spots that provide great panoramas over the sea and land.
Nordeste is famous for its vegetation and beatiful flowers that garnish the council's roads.
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