The Hotel Monte Palace in São Miguel, Azores

Jordan Campbell

7 years ago

Monte Palace exterior in Sao Miguel, Azores

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Well, well, well… what have we here? The abandoned Hotel Monte Palace in São Miguel, Azores. This hotel there would be the perfect place to stay, but for the fact it’s completely falling apart. It’s actually perched on a mountaintop overlooking the super picturesque Sete Cidades lagoon and offers some of the best views on the island.

When it opened in 1989, it was the Azores’ first 5-star retreat, complete with every imaginable amenity—restaurants, a bar, a nightclub, a hairdresser, and even a bank. A year later, it was awarded “Best Hotel of the Year” in Portugal… and then it closed. (I actually read it closed the same week it was awarded the honor, but I was unable to confirm elsewhere.)

So, what went wrong? Simply put, the Azores wasn’t quite the travel hotspot that it is now. Folks just weren’t vacationing out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean like they are now.

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This image shows an abandoned, brutalist-style building with overgrown vegetation reclaiming its structure. The concrete walls are adorned with graffiti, adding an urban decay aesthetic, while the cylindrical tower prominently features faded text and marks of wear. The tilted beams and neglected state contribute to a haunting yet visually compelling atmosphere.

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The Hotel Monte Palace is a #DarkTourism Dream

Security guards and dogs roamed the Hotel Monte Palace grounds for a solid decade after its majestic doors closed, but apparently, their paychecks stopped, so… they left. At that point, the place was utterly abandoned and fell into disrepair. Now? A dark tourism wonderland!

You can literally walk right in. No fence or barbed wire is keeping you off the property. However, you do have to be careful—there are open elevator shafts and pieces of ceiling barely hanging on. Just don’t be a dumbass, okay? Bring a flashlight, some sturdy shoes, and your camera.

This image depicts the interior of an abandoned, multi-level building with moss and grime covering the curved balconies and walls, giving it a post-apocalyptic feel. Light streams through a broken skylight in the roof, highlighting scattered debris and graffiti on the dilapidated structure. The eerie mix of decay and partial illumination creates an atmosphere of haunting beauty.

How Do I Get to Hotel Monte Palace?

You’ll need a car to get there. With my guide, renting a car in the Azores will be a breeze.

The Hotel Monte Palace is pretty easy to get to, though my dad was being Super Mario in our rental car, and we did almost miss the stop. Otherwise, you can’t miss it. It’s on a single road, one way in, one way out—Vista do Rei (View of the King).

What To Do While You’re There

At the same stop, there’s also a hike to another Sete Cidades overlook (starts at the far end of the car park). Make a day of it. Bring snacks because there’s nothing else up there. We also found a few places to eat in Sete Cidades town itself, which is down below.

Random aside: Just now, when I went to look up the exact location, Google Maps had a burger truck pinned right there. Maybe someone got smart! You go, and let me know if this elusive food truck actually exists. If it doesn’t, I’m retiring and starting a new business.

This image shows a long, decayed hallway with walls and ceiling covered in moss and mold, giving it an eerie, abandoned atmosphere. The ceiling has partially collapsed, exposing pipes and rusted metal, while debris and puddles cover the uneven floor. The vivid green growth contrasts with the stark decay, evoking a sense of nature reclaiming the structure.

The New & Improved Hotel Monte Palace?

There is a bit of good news here for the building (depending on how you look at it).

I say “depending on how you look at it” because if you have a thing for decrepit, abandoned places like I do, you’d better get there fast. Since the latest Azores tourism boom, a real estate group has purchased the property and is set to re-open the doors in 2021!

Maybe I’ll stay there after the renovation, too. Cool idea, right? Seeing it before and after?