Santa Barbara Eco-Beach Resort

One of the best rest and recharge experiences of my life. The location is simply outstanding, surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty, and the villa I stayed in was absolutely perfect. The staff were exceptionally kind, attentive, and helpful – they spoke excellent English and went above and beyond to accommodate every request I had. :) Every morning at 5 a.m. I went to the wellness area to work out, and the staff’s response was always: “Of course, sir, please go ahead, we’ll notify security to open it for you.” This level of care truly impressed me. The food was of excellent quality, and the drinks were wonderful. Despite the hotel being fully booked, the property offered plenty of serene spaces where I could be alone with my thoughts. I can only speak in superlatives about my stay here. I am certain I will return at least once every year – and if I can, I will come twice or more. Thank you, Santa Barbara Eco Beach Hotel, for this unforgettable experience. <3

The room was spacious, clean and included a deck with a jacuzzi. The service was exceptional! No detail was missed. The front desk staff was attentive and Barbara helped us each day with itinerary suggestions. She was amazing! The breakfast was wonderful and the pool was relaxing. Can’t beat the incredible location, views and centrally located no matter what part of island you ventured too. It was the perfect balance of relaxation and fun. We plan to come back!

This hotel is a must if you come to Sau Miguel. First of all the Hotel is stunning, has a sea view that is one of a kind. The welcoming is so welcoming with a local tea and homemade cookies , the room we took was perfect with a private pool, and in the early morning around 6:30 am the sunrise with the view mountains is from a movie. The restaurant has amazing food, recommend highly to have dinner and lunch in the hotel. The swimming pool is located in the perfect view to the sunset. Right next to the hotel there is a cool bar also recommended highly. All in all will definitely come back again.

The hotel itself is beautiful, with a stunning property and a very charming atmosphere. Breakfast is lovingly prepared – not a buffet, which I personally prefer – but you still get everything your heart desires. It’s not easy for me to give four stars instead of five, but a few things could have been better. We had booked a room with two beds, as no smaller rooms were available, and unfortunately one of them was hardly usable due to a strong sewage smell. The whirlpool wasn’t clean upon arrival, though it was taken care of the next day after we mentioned it. On another day, while we were out on an excursion, the air conditioning was replaced in our room without us being informed beforehand. Coming back to find strangers in the room felt a bit unsettling, and the timing was inconvenient since we had planned to shower and head out right after hiking. Although the staff apologized, we felt our concerns weren’t really addressed. That being said, I would stay here again, but likely in a different room category. The restaurant was fantastic, the dinner outstanding, and the cakes absolutely delicious!

Exceptional stay for our family – truly unforgettable! In February 2025 we stayed at Santa Barbara Eco Beach Resort as a family with our baby. We were absolutely blown away by the entire experience. From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with warmth and genuine care. The location is stunning, nestled between the lush green hills and the Atlantic Ocean – peaceful, yet perfectly situated to explore São Miguel. The design of the resort is exclusive and thoughtfully integrated into the natural surroundings, combining luxury with sustainability in the most inspiring way. The facilities are of the highest quality – everything was perfectly suited even for traveling with a baby. Our accommodation was stylish, spotless, and well-equipped, with every comfort we could ask for. But what truly made our stay exceptional was the outstanding service. The entire team – especially at reception and in the restaurant – went above and beyond to make our stay unforgettable. Their heartfelt hospitality, attention to detail, and holistic, guest-centered approach were impressive. This resort is a true gem, and we can’t wait to return.

The location is lovely, with beautiful sea views, and a nice pool. The food at the restaurant was of a good quality, and it's certainly worth visiting the beach bar between the hotel and the sea, which has a good vibe and does lovely cocktails.||However, we found that there were too many issues with the hotel, despite its lovely location. ||Lighting was a big issue, with the rooms predominantly dark brown concrete, this was compounded as the bedroom had two small lights, and the bathroom was equally dark, making it impossible to apply makeup or find things. This is the first hotel ever that I've had to use the torch on my phone at night. Also, there were no bedside tables in the bedroom so nowhere to put phones, glasses, books, drinks etc.||The restaurant was also unusual. Guests had to prebook tables, normally this is done by default for residents, but the odd thing was that room service also had to be pre-booked in the same way in advance. So, maybe no sandwiches if you flight is delayed!||The gym and indoor pool also had to be booked in advance as they shared the same space as the spa, again very unusual. We booked the indoor pool one lunch time, only to find it was dirty so had to give up on that idea. We did see some cleaners come in at about 3pm, however.||Finally on checkout, the default is to use their exchange rate and pay in Sterling. I always pay in the local currency as I get a good rate on my credit card and was taken through the right buttons to press to select Euros. On checkout I did query this as the slip had two amounts on it, but I was assured I was being billed in Euros. Much to my surprise, I've just received my statement, and the bill was charged in Sterling at a much poorer rate.

Gorgeous resort with great food, views, and service. Rooms are modern and well equipped. Could use some more wall hooks for easier hanging of wet clothes. Hot tub seems well maintained and perfect post hiking. Will absolutely stay here again. Lots of families here, but seems like a better place for couples…or families with older teenagers.

This was a perfect place to stay for our family. The facilities and rooms are lovely. Our villa had a separate room with two beds, which was great for the kids. It's only about a five minute walk down to the beach which never felt crowded. The service was fantastic and the free breakfast was delicious. It's only about 20 min from Ponta Delgada and 10 min from the south side of the island, which made it a great central location. Would definitely recommend to others.

Great room. Great food. Great location. Great beach. Great cocktails. Great hotel staff and waitstaff. I highly recommend staying here when u visit São Miguel. I preferred it over the luxury hotel I stayed at in Ponta Delgada. I suggest ordering the fish of the day (boca negra in my case) and the Santa Barbara cocktail. The local cider (Bandidas) on tap is solid too.

This place is a gem - stunning view of the ocean, modern design with the traditional features, delicious meals and fantastically friendly people. The restaurant's menu features local food, but is also surprisingly tilting to Japanese cuisine. It's doing a great job at both. Also the burger is more than delicious. After the meal one can walk down to the beach and from there go to Ribera Grande. Sta Barbara is a wonderful place to visit on this side of Sao Miguel island!

I went in to pick up my take away order for 2 persons, and right there standing behind the bar in full view of guests is the bartender (who had a beard) WITHOUT a mask preparing things at the bar! I told them I did not want my food because I have no confidence that proper Covid procedures are being taken at that establishment. It is Government mandated that masks are to be worn indoors, and yet the bartender isn't wearing one! The young lady restaurant hostess that I spoke to said "we always wear masks". How could she say that when right in front of she and me is the bartender WITHOUT A MASK ON??? This is supposed to be a high-end hotel and restaurant, and yet the bartender is IGNORING GOVERNMENT MASK MANDATE right in front of me and everyone else there!

This place was a 5 star experience, food was incredible & beach vies were breath taking. This is worth the voyage from wherever you are staying. Highly recommend the sushi, tuna dish, chicken dishes as well as the filet. Service was fantastic and attentive. This is a must when on the island.