About Us

The Story of Pico do Refúgio

On the north coast of São Miguel Island, between the deep green of the Azorean landscape and the constant presence of the Atlantic Ocean, lies a place shaped by time.

Pico do Refúgio was born in the early 17th century and, over more than three centuries, has embraced many different lives, always deeply connected to the island and to those who passed through it. It has been a militia fort, an orange estate, a tea factory, a place of shelter and a space for creation.

Within these walls, stories were lived, trees grew, generations crossed paths and artists found inspiration. It was once the country home of painter and writer Luís Bernardo Leite de Ataíde and later became the home and place of inspiration of sculptor Luísa Constantina, leaving within this place a profound connection to art, contemplation and creation.

It was her son, Luís Bernardo, who later envisioned a new life for this place, giving rise to the Country Houses project and helping transform the property into a space designed to welcome, care for and share the essence of the island.

Today, Pico do Refúgio is reborn as a place of pause.

A place where time slows down.

Where nature enters through the windows and silence finds space to exist.

Among restored houses that honour the memory of this place, gardens that follow the rhythm of the seasons and the Atlantic Ocean always present on the horizon, emerges an experience designed to live São Miguel in an authentic, simple and deeply connected way.

More than accommodation, Pico do Refúgio is an invitation.

To pause.

To breathe.

To listen.

Pause · Silence · Listen