Santa Barbara Eco-Beach Resort

Joe5/5 · 2026-05

Had a lovely stay at the resort in the B&G suite with the hot tub on the patio. The location is perfect, with stunning views, private and very calm and tranquil. The rooms were clean and well appointed with a special turndown service offering a relaxing sleep tea and ritual. The room had a mini fridge and cooking abilities (micro and mini stove top). The staff were all amazing, super helpful and knowledgeable on local places to visit. They provide you with a hotel cell phone to contact the staff and they give daily itineraries if you don’t want to plan your day. Breakfast was wonderful with fresh fruit and ala-cart options. Parking is free. There is a lot of ground and hidden relaxing corners to explore. Highly recommend for a relaxing stay! And the beach club is a great spot for a chill vibe.

Mark D1/5 · 2026-05

We stayed at Santa Bárbara Eco-Beach Resort expecting a family-friendly experience, but unfortunately, it was completely unsuitable for traveling with a toddler. While I can see how this property might appeal to adults looking for a quiet, isolated retreat, it is not designed with young children in mind. There is very little to do beyond being outdoors, which becomes a major issue when the weather is poor—as it was during our stay. With limited indoor activities or child-friendly spaces, we were essentially stuck. The layout of the resort also adds to the challenge. The rooms are located up a hill, requiring a golf cart to transport luggage or anything substantial, which is inconvenient when managing a child and belongings. Safety was a constant concern. The rooms and common areas feature stone floors, steps, and design elements that are simply not toddler-friendly. Our child was at continuous risk of slipping or injuring himself. Even in the reception area, there were candles placed on the floor—naturally something a toddler would be drawn to—which only added to the stress. Even outdoors, the environment did not feel safe for a young child. There are areas with minimal or no guardrails and proximity to cliffs, meaning we would have had to be constantly on edge to ensure our toddler didn’t wander too far. This removed any sense of relaxation, even if the weather had been better. To make matters worse, the condition of parts of the room—such as the bathroom—was disappointing and not up to expectations (I’ve posted photos to reflect this). The one clear positive was the food, which was excellent. However, that alone could not compensate for how stressful and impractical the stay was with a young child. Ultimately, after only a few hours, we made the difficult decision to leave and find a more suitable hotel. Despite not staying for the majority of our booked time, we were unable to recover any of the unused funds, which was extremely frustrating. In summary: a potentially nice retreat for adults, but absolutely not appropriate for families with toddlers. We would strongly caution parents of young children to look elsewhere.

Colleen Bator5/5 · 2026-03

This was the most incredible stay of our lives! We stayed with our 9 year old son and enjoyed a room with a hot tub. The food for dinner and breakfast was beyond delicious and the service throughout our stay was impeccable. Nothing can beat the view of the ocean from this hotel! We are grateful to have made life long memories here with our child, while visiting Sao Miguel for one week. We loved every minute of our time there and you would be so lucky to visit there and make memories at this unique and stunning property! Thank you to the team there, for making this a once in a lifetime (hopefully twice!), experience. As Canadians, we can't say we have ever experienced anything as special as this in Canada, or abroad. Obrigata! Colleen, Shep and Willem (Woodstock, Ontario).

JP Hoffman5/5 · 2026-03

In my 50+ years of traveling the world, Santa Barbara Eco Resort in Ribeira Grande Azores Portugal is hands down the single best place I’ve ever stayed in all categories. We drove in, and quickly realized it is located as close to the beach access as you can possibly get. It’s got its own surf school steps from the sand. Upon check-in they offer a welcome drink. The staff is incredibly friendly and offers a golf cart ride to your suite. They give you a personal cell phone for any communication needs. The outdoor pool is infinity pool with breathtaking views of the beach. Upon entering your room is ultra modern and comfortable, with full kitchen and even a cooktop. The bedroom is divided from living area. Full blackout curtains. Floor to ceiling sliders with ocean views. Your own personal jacuzzi overlooking the best view I’ve seen in years. The bathtub is stone, the bed has tea and sleep spray scents with a relaxation booklet. The Tv has all the apps you would use at home. The breakfast included is probably the best breakfast I’ve had at a resort; completely fresh squeezed juices, coffees, hot chocolates for the kids, fresh fruit and the best eggs Benedict I’ve ever seen. Mind blowing honestly. Every single part of the resort is devoid of plastic (as far as I can see so far), and eco friendly. They include glass bottles of Filtered water in room and refills. The bed was insanely comfortable and I am a light sleeper; had an amazing night sleep. One of the best parts of the resort is the indoor pool/spa. You reserve it privately for 90 minutes and it’s another gem. All glass walls, indoor wall of plants, a yoga and massage studio, just amazing. Every single detail from the unique coffee cups, to the extremely friendly staff, to the 5 star amenities, this place is a dream stay and I can’t recommend this enough. We arrived during a rare wind storm so we couldn’t surf, but we are 100% definitely coming back just for this resort in the future!

Hannah R5/5 · 2026-06

What a stunning property. It’s truly one of the best locations for a hotel, really beautiful views and the rooms are incredible. They’re quite huge and really comfortable. The staff goes above and beyond and are easy to communicate with via the hotel phone. Don’t hesitate and stay here! Very easy to walk down to the public beach too which is breathtaking. Had an amazing couples massage in the hut overlooking the sea too.

Christiana Bayer5/5 · 2026-06

Es war die schönste Unterkunft auf unserer ganzen Azorenreise! Traumhafte Zimmer, perfekter Service, köstliches Frühstück, extrem sauber alles. Alle Mitarbeiter grüssten immer, man fühlte sich sehr wohl.