The municipality of São Vicente is home to a vast area of Laurissilva, the most precious natural treasure of the archipelago.
The diversity of flora and fauna in this forest, as well as its state of conservation, make the municipality of São Vicente one of the most privileged places to, through its multiple pedestrian routes, come into close contact with Madeiran nature — often with the ocean in the background. Another of the most representative points of interest in the municipality of São Vicente is a small and peculiar chapel built inside a basalt rock, on the seafront. The chapel of São Vicente, or Calhau, is a symbolic reflection of this region's deep connection to faith, but also of the constant presence of volcanic rock.