Quinta de Santana

Very much enjoyed our stay at this location with the beautiful garden. The staff are very friendly. Breakfasts are enjoyable with hot and cold food. Central location for visiting all parts of the island.

This apart-hotel complex is absolutely beautiful, flowering bushes everywhere with a lovely scent. Our apartment was large and airy and had a great private terrace on the first floor (2nd floor if you’re North American). It really was a home from home with a full dining area with table and chairs and lounge area with sofa, soft rug and tv. The main double bedroom was upstairs with an anteroom having a sofa/pull out bed for children or guests 3&4. Lots of storage in the bedroom but there was a distinct lack of hangers in the wardrobe but loads of drawer space. The kitchen is adequate enough for simple meals (no oven) with a twin hob and microwave, kettle and toaster, and a selection of pots and pans. We managed really well. The hotel provides breakfast 8am - 10am if you want it at 12euros per person. We didn’t try this option. Housekeeping are amazing and come every day! Everything is clean and beds are made. Towels can be changed daily if you like. For a self-catering holiday we found that a lot was provided in the apartment for us: washing up liquid, washing up sponge, washing up cloth and a tea towel. These are replenished and changed as needed. There is also toilet roll, shower gel and hand wash provided in the bathroom which was lovely - again, replenished when needed or on request. The complex gardens are beautiful and well-tended. The pool looked lovely and well-cared for, however we didn’t try it out. There seems to be a hot tub in a wooden building off the pool area - we took a look but it was grubby and the water had floating debris. I’m sure they would have sorted it out if we had asked, but we were out and about discovering the island every day. You definitely need to hire a car for the duration of your stay here as there isn’t any bus route nearby and taxis would be very expensive to get around the island. HANDY TIP: If you’re picking up your hire car on landing at the airport and driving to Quinta da Santana - to get into the complex there is an electronic gate that requires a remote control. When you first arrive, drive past the big metal gate and find the next smaller (pedestrian) gate. Put the hazard lights on in the car and get out to ring the bell. This alerts reception who will come and open the gate for you or just give you a remote straight away so you can drive into the complex. We had a horrendous time of looking and looking and going around and around the roads trying to find the entrance!! We didn’t know about the need to ring the pedestrian gate bell (face palm!) The reception staff are lovely and very accommodating and speak English very well. I’m not sure what other languages they can speak. The area that Quinta da Santana is situated in is the one fly in the ointment….it seems really run down and the road they are situated on is all full of industrial buildings and commercial businesses. Further exploration within Santana uncovers the grubbier side of agricultural life with its local working class community. Rabo de Piexe is functional and you can find shops and restaurants/takeaways there. Nice bakery. We preferred venturing into Ribiera Grande for shopping and meals which is much larger and is definitely catering for tourists. Geographically, Quinta da Santana is perfectly placed in the island - about an hour east or west to the tips of Sao Miguel and 20 mins to the South coast and Ponta Del Garda (capital) and the airport. Overall, a fabulous hidden gem of a place (emphasis on hidden!!) where you are looked after very well and it’s beautifully quiet - perfect for people who love to get away from it all.

This place is a small garden hideaway a few kilometers from the town and several blocks from the ocean. It may not be 5 star but it’s quiet, safe, well manicured and we’ll attended by a polite feline staff. A good breakfast is available every day. The interior details are not always perfect ( WiFi sketchy, kitchen sparse, and minimal furniture) but the basics are covered. Getting anywhere requires a taxi unless you have a car, the exception being the steak house up the street. But the staff is helpful for calling taxis, giving directions and anything else you need.

We were forced to stay over in Sao Miguel after our flight was delayed. We had 2 cats with us so airline put us up at Quinta. We were so surprised by this quaint hotel that made us, and our cats feel completely at home. We bought some cat sand and food on the way there and the staff provided us with a box and some bowls for our fur babies. Great location. Very tropical. They also have their own cats. Very friendly and professional staff. Great little breakfast included. Great rates by the way. Self-catering kitchens. Pool area. Parking off road. Highly recommend hotel, even if you dont travel with pets.

Just finished a wonderful week at Quinta de Santana. Our three children loved the pool, the play area and the football pitch. The Agricole restaurant is a two-minute walk from the complex and was superb, and the sunset from the Tuka Tula restaurant (5 mins by car) was amazing. You will need a car to get around the island from here but its central location makes everywhere easy to get to. Hopefully we’ll be back next year!