Ponta Delgada is the lovely administrative capital of the incredible Azores Archipelago, and also of the wonderful São Miguel Island.

The discovery dates of the Azores Archipelago are unknown, with several historical researches affirming that some of the island were already referred in Genovese maps since 1351, yet it was only from 1431 onwards that the colonization started in these Islands.

The town of Ponta Delgada has a rich history and a charming architectonic heritage, surrounded by the splendid beauty of the São Miguel nature, that astonishes those who contemplate it.
It was in the 19th century that Ponta Delgada flourished, becoming one of the main and most rich towns in Portugal, mainly due to the big citrus exportation, to the fishing industry and to the fixation of many foreign commercials. This heritage is nowadays quite visible in the colonial and Romantic ambiance of the town, so typical of this period, providing a charming environment for all visitors.

These days, Ponta Delgada breathes history, with its cosmopolite ambiance, its romantic gardens and sites, its narrow paved streets or its several manor houses and small palaces that are present throughout the region, showing of the economical strength of other times, thanks to the fertility of this soil and the trading importance. Ponta Delgada offers, proudly, its rich culture, architectonic and historical heritage, in an idyllic landscape, where the Tourism industry has been developed quite slowly and organized.

The town is proud of its heritage, with monuments such as the gorgeous 15th century Mother Church, thr gracious building of the headquarters of the Customhouse; the Convents of Conceição, Santo André, Carmo and Our Lady of Hope from the 18th century; the ancient Jesuit College; the São Brás Fort; the lovely Church of São Mateus or the emblematic Portas da Cidade (“town doors”).

The town presents nowadays a crescent services offer, animation and activities, with commercial areas, theatres and nightlife spots, as well as the renewed Marine with its swimming pools and the leisure areas, or other places like the very Romantic António Borges Garden or the interesting Carlos Machado Museum specialized in the natural history, fishing and agriculture of all the São Miguel Island.