The weather next morning in Santana was far from ideal. It was raining, and it was misty and cloudy. Great start to the day, right? On top of that, Dominik parked our rental car on a small hill the previous night, and because of that, we could not move from the spot without hitting the car parked in front of us in the morning. We spent the first hour of our day outside the hotel waiting in the pouring rain for other hotel guests to show up so we could ask them if the car in front of ours belongs to them. Luckily, we found the owner quickly and so within a few minutes we continued our road trip.
Because of the weather situation, we skipped a few planned stops. We visited the small city of São Vicente for a quick hike but ultimately decided to drive straight away to Porto Moniz.
By the time we arrived in Porto Moniz, the weather cleared up a little bit. We checked into our hotel for the day and decided to take a stroll through the city. The most exciting thing about the city is its natural pools. Because we were guests of the Hotel Aqua Natura, we received complimentary entries to the pools which was exciting!
The pools are created by volcanic rocks, the average temperature is around 20 degrees Celsius. It was too cold for us to take a dip, but there were people who were happily swimming inside the pools.
We decided to have a relaxing day. Instead of sightseeing, we people-watched. Instead of hiking, we took a bunch of photos. Sometimes when on a long trip, it’s necessary to unwind. Porto Moniz was the perfect place to leave our worries behind and enjoy the beautiful nature surrounding us. We had a busy day ahead of us, and finding a place to relax was more than welcome. Also, look at the room’s view!
