Arriving on Santa Maria by yacht: Vila do Porto marina, clearance and the 2026 berth fees

Santa Maria sits at the south-east corner of the Azores, about 50 nautical miles from São Miguel, and it has a proper marina. What it does not have is a border post. If you are sailing in from outside the Schengen Area, the order of your stops matters more than the berth.

Vila do Porto is not a port of entry. Noonsite's clearance page for the port (May 2025) says formalities for Santa Maria are dealt with on São Miguel. Its Azores formalities page (2026) lists the ports of entry for yachts arriving from outside the EU: Ponta Delgada on São Miguel, Horta on Faial, and Praia da Vitória and Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira. These are the islands with international airports.

From the west, the usual way is to clear in at Ponta Delgada and then cover the last 50 miles to Santa Maria. Noonsite suggests talking to the Ponta Delgada marina before you go on. The restriction is on crews coming from outside the Schengen Area, so a yacht arriving from mainland Portugal or Madeira is not affected by it.

Marina de Vila do Porto is run by Portos dos Açores, the regional port authority. Its listing gives:

• 120 berths.
• A 10-tonne crane and a 70-tonne travel lift.
• VHF channels 9 and 16.
• An office open 08:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:00, the same in summer and winter.
• Phone +351 296 882 782, email marinavdp@portosdosacores.pt.

Noonsite describes the marina as quite small but quiet and well sheltered. The office is next to the pontoons. The toilet and shower block and the laundry are at the head of the bay, a short walk away. The marina is also on the 2026 Blue Flag list for marinas in the Azores.

Noonsite gives the port entrance at 36° 56.4′ N, 25° 08.75′ W, on the south-west corner of the island below the town. Call the harbour master on VHF 16. The way in is a channel between the east end of the ferry pier and the end of the marina pier, marked by a green beacon. If the ferry is manoeuvring in the harbour, wait outside until it has finished.

Do not plan to anchor in the port: anchoring is not allowed there. The nearest anchorage Noonsite names is off Praia Formosa on the south coast, a sand beach a short way east of town (see Santa Maria's beaches). It faces south, so it gives no shelter from southerly weather.

The same tariff covers every marina Portos dos Açores runs, so the prices below also apply in Ponta Delgada. Visiting yachts pay the rate for boats whose owners are not tax resident in the Azores. Daily rates for 2026, before VAT:

• 8 to 10 metres: €12.53.
• 10 to 12 metres: €15.13.
• 12 to 15 metres: €22.91.
• 15 to 18 metres: €31.68.

Three things go on top. Every berth pays a waste-management fee of 6% of the berth rate. Multihulls pay 50% more than a monohull of the same length. VAT is added to the total. For an 11-metre monohull, a week comes to about €112 before VAT; the monthly rate for that class is €415.68, so a stay of a month or more is worth asking about. The 2026 table prices a shower at €3 and a washing machine or dryer at €6 each, VAT included.

Fees are set each year. Check the current table on portosdosacores.pt before you budget.

None of the sources we checked says whether there is a fuel berth inside the marina, so ask the office by phone or email before you rely on topping up here. The travel lift makes a haul-out possible; ask the office about yard space before you count on it.

For crew changes the airport is a short drive from the harbour. SATA Air Açores flies to Ponta Delgada in about 30 minutes, and Azores Airlines flies to Lisbon; see planning a trip to Santa Maria. For getting about the island once you are ashore, read getting around Santa Maria.

If you dive, the Mantamaria dive centre works from the marina, and the reef at Baixa do Ambrósio is about 40 minutes away by boat. Diving on Santa Maria has the details.

Can I clear into the Azores at Vila do Porto? No. Vila do Porto is not a port of entry. Clear in at Ponta Delgada, Horta, Praia da Vitória or Angra do Heroísmo first.

Which VHF channel does Vila do Porto marina use? Channels 9 and 16. Noonsite says to call the harbour master on 16 as you approach.

How much is a night in Vila do Porto marina for a 12-metre yacht? In 2026 a monohull of 12 to 15 metres paid €22.91 a day, plus the 6% waste-management fee and VAT. A boat just under 12 metres falls in the 10 to 12 metre class at €15.13.

Can I anchor off Vila do Porto? Not in the port area. The nearest anchorage is off Praia Formosa on the south coast, with no shelter from southerly weather.