Mole beach

This is one of the most popular beaches of the island and a favourite among locals due to the beautiful clear water, but it is hard to reach in the holiday season, since you usually have to get through traffic jams in Lagoa da Conceição to reach Mole. If you travel by motorcycle you can mostly beat traffic.

The name "Mole" means "Soft", naturally from the softer sand here. Next to the beach you have the nice hiking trail Gravata, which you access from the hill. This trail is well kept, with beautiful smooth rock faces on the coast. If you look at these rocks and the vegetation from the beach, they are said to look like a sleeping dragon.

Mole beach has dangerous currents and big Atlantic waves.

There is a cafe with a lookout on top of the next hill, between Mole and Barra da Lagoa, worth a stop to get the view of Lagoa da Conceição from above.

Barra da Lagoa

One of the most beautiful regions of the island. Barra da Lagoa is well worth visiting if you can avoid going when everybody else is going. A huge and popular beach is joined with a canal and a short hiking trail to the Piscinas Naturais - "Natural Pools" - which are boulders forming protected spots for swimming. Small crowds gather here to watch the sunset.

Avid hikers can continue making their way over more boulders to find some truly secluded places along the coast that few visit.

In Barra da Lagoa you can also visit one of the restaurants along the river connecting the Atlantic ocean with Lagoa da Conceição, or watch people play beach volley by the bridge.

Rio Vermelho state park

If you have a vehicle you can combine your visit in Barra da Lagoa with a visit to the Rio Vermelho state park. A long, straight road goes right through the forest, making one of the more beautiful drives in the island - especially on motorcycle. On the right side of the road you can access the large pine tree forest of the park by foot or bicycle. The pine trees make an almost Nordic ambience. Traversing the forest soon brings you to an isolated part of the beach. Be aware that the forest at times can be infested with aggressive mosquitoes, although most of the time there's no mosquitoes at all.

You can also follow the road Rua João Gualberto Soares through the forests to Lagoa da Conceição and the boat pier where ferries depart to Costa da Lagoa.

The Environmental Police has a base in the north of the park, with a visitors centre and a park where you can look at birds and other wild animals that have been rescued. You can visit this park by public bus.