Gaspar Frutuoso, writing in his sixth volume of Saudades da Terra, referred to the area as São Mateus da Prainha, noting: "In addition to the church of São Mateus Além, is a small bay of white sand and small stones in places, where on occasion they throw-out their nets and trammels to catch many fish, principally mullet."

[3] Father Manuel Luís Maldonado, writing in his work Fenix Nagrense, recounted the penitence of the peoples of the parish, as a sequence of the 26 March 1690 storm and 5 April 1690 earthquake.

Father António Cordeiro, writing in 1710 wrote of large estates, the coastal fortresses (some with more than 9 pieces of artillery), their garrisons and of the community of São Mateus "with more than 50 neighbours" spread across the territory.

[3] Writing in 1834, Luís de Meireles do Canto e Castro, a local resident, complained of the poor protection the seawall offered, resulting in repeated encroachments by the sea.

The Biscoitinho Platform, over which the main built-up part of the civil parish is situated, terminates at small rectangular promontory 300 metres (980 ft) consisting of several coves and bays.

One of these bays, which is relatively deep, provided shelter for early settlers from western and southwestern weather systems, giving rise to the port of São Mateus.

To the east of the port there two areas, Baía das Mercês and Poço da Luz, where the coast is almost level with the sea, and where stone beaches are common.

While the upper regions of the parish has marked by rural character, the central area is primarily urban, centred around the parochial church and fishing community.