Destination

Between nature and culture and an entire ocean to discover!

At Palácio Santa Catarina, everything contributes to inner peace, a constant invitation to appreciate the landscape and enjoy the island's riches. From architectural heritage to natural beauty, from the rich Azorean cuisine to traditions and historical events.

In close proximity, the hotel has:

Monte Brasil Forest Reserve • Castle of São João Baptista • Angra do Heroísmo Museum • Angra do Heroísmo Bay • Portões de S. Pedro • University of the Azores Angra do Heroísmo Campus • Countless must-visit churches • Terceira Island Golf Club is 13 kilometers away • Terceira Airport is just 21 kilometers away

However, the most coveted is the Atlantic, the same one you can see from the hotel, offering activities inspired by the sea in this region:

Whale watching • Sailing • Diving

These are complemented by many other outdoor activities, in total connection with the lush and poetic Azorean landscape:

Golf • Hiking • Paragliding • Canyoning • Other water sports • Observation of flora and wildlife

Cultural Destination

The third island in the Azorean archipelago to be discovered and the first to have its capital, Angra do Heroísmo, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was initially named the Island of Jesus Christ, maintaining a strong religious inclination to this day. The architectural richness of the city is an open-air compendium. Angra do Heroísmo showcases palaces, more churches than you can visit, monuments, fortresses, gardens, and manor houses in an elaborate urban layout that reveals a rich, noble, and religious past, with the centuries-old Cathedral ensuring a prominent place. 

The Terceira island

In Terceira, everything deserves a visit, and everything has a story to tell. Come with  leisurely pace, with eyes to see and feel. From Forte de Santa Catarina to the house of the legendary Azorean writer Vitorino Nemésio, from Miradouro Riviera to Praia da Vitória, passing through Biscoitos, the land of Verdelho wine. Don't forget the Doze Ribeiras bathing area and the Serra de Santa Bárbara, and everything else you'll discover. Terceira still maintains a dynamic annual calendar of festivities and a full agenda of events,
constantly promoting the knowledge and culture of the island.

The spiritual profile and legend of the Saint

Discovering the history and spirituality surrounding Palácio Santa Catarina is another calling card, greatly enhancing the peaceful spirit of the place. Another reference that links history, legend, faith, and spirituality is the name of Santa Catarina, which baptizes the mansion. 

The legend

It is said that Catherine, imprisoned in ancient Rome  for professing the Christian faith, angered the Roman emperor by converting the soldiers responsible for her confinement to Christianity. The emperor's fury only found a match in the cruel Wheel – a mutilating instrument – to which he ordered Catherine to be tortured to death. Before being tied to the wheel, Catherine made the sign of the cross, and the wheel broke. From this past, where sacred and pagan are intertwined, comes the story of Catherine's sanctification. A name that, in Angra do Heroísmo, is indelibly associated with this mansion, now crowned with four stars, and a direct entry into the emotional ranking of Azorean accommodation offerings.