Beira da Quinta Viewpoint

The platform sits on a corner of the old coast road, and the view opens as soon as you leave the car. It runs a long way in both directions: cliffs dropping to the water, open sea, and the coastline between Faial and Santana. There is depth to it rather than one flat panorama, which is why photographers do well here. Fog reaches this coast and does not always spoil the stop — the cliffs show through in gaps as it moves. Benches face the drop, and the deck gives you room to stand about rather than take one photograph and drive on.

• No toilets — there are none at the viewpoint and none in the surrounding area, so plan the stop around that.
• Drinking water — a public water point stands 270 m away, and the Fontanário do Arco Pequeno fountain 365 m away.
• Benches and information — there are benches on the deck, and a board about Arco de São Jorge stands 54 m from it.
• Fog — cloud sits on the north coast and can cover the view completely; the platform is exposed to it with no shelter.

The viewpoint is on ER101, the old road along the north coast between Faial and Santana. The newer road takes this stretch in tunnels and passes it by, so the old route is the way in. The deck sits on a bend of the road, with room to pull over alongside it and a car park 112 m away. There is nothing to walk: the platform is at road level, straight off the roadside.

Better: a clear day, when the coast shows in both directions and the sea reaches the horizon.

Avoid: thick fog, if the view is the only reason for the stop.

Cloud gathers on the north coast when the south of the island is clear, and this stretch catches it. Even then the place holds up — the cliffs appear and disappear as the fog moves, and there is more detail in that than in a flat blue day.