Caloura

Below the hillside town of Água de Pau, the coast of southern São Miguel folds into a small, well-sheltered cove: Caloura, a fishing hamlet whose natural pool and clear water make it one of the island’s favourite bathing spots, watched over by a whitewashed convent on the cliff above.

The convent above the bay

The Convento da Caloura, begun in the sixteenth century, was home to the first community of Clariss nuns on São Miguel, and its chapel keeps fine azulejos and a gilded altar. It is remembered above all for the image of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres, venerated here before the community moved to Ponta Delgada — where the devotion grew into the greatest religious feast of the Azores. The convent still works as a place of religious retreat, closed to casual visiting, and its quiet walls give the cove its particular calm.

A harbour of clear water

Below the convent, the little port of Caloura sits in a bay sheltered by rock formations, where fishing boats still moor and swimmers take to the natural pool of limpid water. The rocky coast is a favourite for snorkelling and diving, and coasteering groups explore the ledges and gullies of the lava shore. The vineyards and hydrangea lanes of Água de Pau climb the hill behind, and the volcanic scenery of São Miguel Island continues along the coast in both directions.

What to see

• The natural pool and sheltered portinho
• The Convento da Caloura above the bay
• The rocky ledges of the coasteering coast
• The fishing boats of the little harbour
• The viewpoints over the south coast

Practical information

Caloura lies on the southern coast of São Miguel, in the municipality of Lagoa, a few minutes below Água de Pau. The rocks are slippery near the water and the Atlantic swell can rise quickly: wear shoes with grip, keep clear of the ledges in rough weather, and check the official websites before setting out.

Image credit: 2012-10-14 11-55-27 Portugal Azores Caloura by Hansueli Krapf — CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.