The Bay of São Lourenço is located on the island of Santa Maria, has 113 hectares of area and is located in a volcanic crater whose abatement, on the shore facing the sea, originated a bay. Until the height of the old ships, the bay of São Lourenço served as a shelter for the ships and fleets of fishermen, becoming an important piece in the supply of waters to the crews, and also served as an alternative port of shelter to Vila do Porto until the middle of the 20th century.
In 1987 it was classified as a Nature Reserve and on October 20th 1988 the “Círculo de Amigos de São Lourenço” was created with the purpose of “(…) defending the tourist interests of the São Lourenço bay’s summer resort (…)”, is responsible for the organization of the summer festivities. The area that has been classified covers the beach of São Lourenço, from Ponta dos Matos, in the North, to Ponta Negra, in the South, with brown sands, the vineyards on the hillside scattered in corrals where the production of the so-called Wine of São Lourenço is made. Besides that, the islet of São Lourenço is also part of the classified area.
The Bay of São Lourenço includes great biodiversity and is really valued for observation diving. Its waters have an average depth of 12 meters in which the bottom is usually sand divided by rocks.
There are several interesting things to observe in São Lourenço Bay:
São Lourenço beach, being one of the biggest in the archipelago and located in the old volcanic slope surrounded by vineyards where the São Lourenço wine comes from;
Ilhéu de São Lourenço, also known as the Romeiro islet, is located on the northeast coast of the island, south of the São Lourenço beach and bordered by Ponta Negra, 92 meters high and covered with vegetation, you can also find a cave accessible only by boat, and where the only mammal endemic to the Azores, the bat Nyctalus Azoreum, is located;
Vineyards lined up on the hillside, where the São Lourenço wine is produced. It is located on the wall of the São Lourenço beach, covering the islet of São Lourenço to the south and bordering Ponta Negra. Along the bay, it is possible to find small beaches with crystalline waters with little depth, so it is possible to swim safely. It is also possible to find restaurants in the bay area to enjoy the flavour of the Azorean gastronomy.