About Ribeira Grande

Ribeira Grande is a municipality in the northwestern part of São Miguel Island in the Azores. The population in 2011 was 19,731, in an area of 107.03 km². It covers the northern coast of the island and is adjacent to the municipalities of Ponta Delgada (to the south) and Lagoa (to the east). The municipality of Ribeira Grande was created on July 1, 1836. Its name was changed to Ribeira Grande de São Miguel on March 15, 1855. On December 11, 1980, the name was shortened to its current form, Ribeira Grande. Ribeira Grande is an important commercial and fishing center in the Azores. The town is located on a sheltered bay and has a long tradition of shipbuilding. The municipality is also home to the João Bosco Mota Amaral Airport. The town of Ribeira Grande is the seat of the municipality of the same name. The municipality includes the town of Ribeira Grande and the villages of Arrifes, Calhetas, Lomba da Maia, Mosteiros, Ponta Garça, Ponta do Sol, Santa Bárbara, Santo António and Vale Formoso.