37 Abandoned Resorts From a Bygone Era You Can Still Visit

35. Hotel Monte Palace, Azores: Fog-Shrouded Luxury Now in Ruins

Perched on a crater rim overlooking the twin lakes of Sete Cidades in São Miguel, Hotel Monte Palace opened in 1989 with five-star ambitions. But within a year, it closed due to low occupancy. Today, the massive, concrete shell is abandoned—but accessible—and regularly visited by curious travelers and photographers. Moss-covered stairwells, graffiti-tagged walls, and sweeping views of mist-draped lakes combine to create a dreamlike, melancholic atmosphere. A surreal experience awaits anyone who ventures here, where failed ambition meets natural wonder in one of the Azores’ most scenic spots.