Ruins of St. George

A stone portico and stretches of wall are all that is left of a sugarcane mill that worked on this shoreline. They stand in a cove that people swim in, with a restaurant beside them and a pool that charges its own entry. Nothing on site explains any of it — there are no information panels at the ruins, and the buildings are not labelled. The ruins also sit on a walking route. It begins at the São Jorge church, runs through them and continues to Santana, past terraced ground where sugar cane grew and the mills that processed it.

• No information panels — nothing at the ruins explains what the mill was, so read up before you arrive.
• Restaurant on site — there is a restaurant at the ruins with a full menu.
• The pool is not free — the swimming pool charges its own entry; one visit cost 5 euro in June 2026.
• Toilets — free public toilets stand about 320 m from the ruins.
• Drinking water — a public fountain, Fontenário do Calhau de São Jorge, is about 130 m away.

Most people arrive by car. The nearest car park is about 230 m from the ruins, with a second one about 370 m back, so the last stretch is on foot either way. Public transport stops at São Jorge-Jardins, roughly 600 m away. Walkers reach the ruins along the coastal route from the São Jorge church, which carries on to Santana.

Better: mid-afternoon. Avoid: wet days.

One visitor in June 2026 found plenty of space in the car park in the middle of the afternoon. The ruins are roofless and open to the weather, and with nothing on site to explain them there is little to do here in the rain.