Santa Bárbara Eco-Beach Resort

Santa Bárbara Eco-Beach Resort opened in 2015 on a plot right above Santa Bárbara beach, in Ribeira Grande on São Miguel island. It describes itself as the first eco-beach resort in the Azores. The beach has black sand, set against the Atlantic and the green mountains behind it. The resort has 30 units: 14 studios, seven one-bedroom villas and nine two-bedroom villas. Each has a small equipped kitchenette, a living area and a large balcony. The units are grouped into Garden Villas, Blue & Green and Retreat studios and villas. The buildings were fitted to the shape of the land to reduce their visual impact. Construction favoured natural materials, mainly local cryptomeria timber, cork and bamboo, along with decorative details drawn from Azorean traditions. The resort's sustainability page points to organic, seaweed-based amenities and locally sourced wood for guest communication materials. It is also developing an organic farming project to grow its own produce. The aim is to serve organic food from its own land at its restaurants. The kitchen is described as disruptive, drawing on the resort's own farm, pastures and seas. On site there is a restaurant called Cardume, a beach club, breakfast and room service. A wellness and fitness area offers a place to switch off. Staff run a tailor-made experiences service, in which guests say what they like and how long they are staying, and the team builds an itinerary around local tips. Seasonal dinners are created by Chef Vítor Sobral. The resort belongs to Singular Properties, which also runs the WHITE hotel. It can be reached at resort@santabarbaraazores.com or on +351 296 470 360.