Praia da Viola - São Miguel PR27 SMI

This trail, on the North coast of the island, connects the villages of Lomba da Maia to Maia, passing by one of the most beautiful natural beaches of the archipelago, Viola beach. Begin the trail at the center of the village, in front of the church Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosário and follow the marks through the interior of the island towards the sea.

Leaving the village, you will enter a dirt road, accessing farming fields and pastures with a view over the North coast of the island, Maia, Ponta Formosa and Ponta do Cintrão. The path ends on a tar road, with access to the parking place of the beach of Viola. On this descend, on your right end side, there is a connection with the trail PRC 35 SMI – Moinhos da Ribeira Funda.

Go down the stone staircase, following several ruins of water mills of Viola that once, working using the force of the water from the stream Ribeira do Salto, transformed the wheat and the corn into flour, used to bake bread, which was the key element of the eating habits of the many families of the village and of the island. On the crossroad you can choose to continue ahead until the beach, or going left, in case the sea is very rough, making it difficult the passage near the cliff. The beach of Viola is a small beach, fairly secluded, flanked by a cliff where there are several water springs. Follow left and approximately half way of the beach, it is possible to see several waterfalls that used to feed other water mills, nowadays in ruins. Go up the water mills and on the cross road, choose right, towards Maia.

On the way, you will cross some old water mills, a viewpoint over the North coast, where you can profit to rest, an ensemble of tanks that were used by the village population to wash the clothes, and finally, the bathing area of Porto Novo. This small bay on the East part of the village of Maia, is very popular as a bathing area during the summer and you can profit to freshen up in the waters of the Atlantic. In this place, there are connections to other points of the island through PRC 36 SMI – Pedra Queimada/Lajinha/Degredo.