Milicias is on San Miguel island, on the South Coast, between San Roque and Livramento. Also known as Praia Grande, it lies next to Populo beach, and is separated from it by a huge carpark. The beach is popular with windsurfers and surfers, and to a lesser extent, for kitesurfing which is relatively new to the Azores. It enjoys a mild temperate climate with summer temperatures averaging around 24°F (75°F) and winter temperatures not below 15°C (59°F). However, as the weather in Azores is changeable, expect some rain everyday.
It is a wide beach made of black volcanic sand. It is fringed on one side with large lava rocks. It is popular with the locals, especially with families, but on the whole, the beach is relatively spacious.
There are both small and medium waves up to 3m (10 ft) in clear water. The winds blow southeast, east southeast, southwest and west southwest between 16-25 knots, although southwest is dominant. The best winds are in winter and spring. There is a medium current, around 1-2 knots but overall, the conditions are good for surfers of all levels of experience.
There is free parking right at the beach, shower and toilet facilities, and food nearby. However, there are few other types of shops and there are no surfing, windsurfing nor kitesurfing rentals. A wide range of accommodations from luxury boutique hotels, self-catering apartments to cheap hostels are found in Ponta Delgada. Its clubs and cafes open late into the night.
Watch out for swimmers and rapidly changing weather conditions. Lifeguards are available. A wetsuit is always required as the water is cold.
