Santa Clara (Saint Clare) is a civil parish in the municipality of Ponta Delgada (São Miguel) in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores.

[3] This embryonic site became the foundation of the village of Santa Clara; it was an important reference in the southwest part of the island, a determinant factor in the location and orography of the locality, combined with a cove and stone beach that later became known as "Ponta Delgada".

[3] The reference to a pebble beach, in the bay [of Ponta dos Alagres], situated in front of the property of Francisco Arruda da Costa, suggests that the remains of the small castelinho, supports many of the early descriptions.

The ecumenical parish of Santa Clara persisted during prelature of Bishop Gaspar de Faria, with its seat in the hermitage of its invocation (which already existed prior to 1522, when the earthquake caused major upheavals).

[3][5] But, following the first quarter of the 17th century, the parish of Santa Clara changed its denomination to São José (encompassing a larger part of Ponta Delgada as the bishop had envisioned), and the original hermitage in the zone subsisted with a single member of the curia.

[3] Regular organized practice and games began in the second decade of the 20th century, and more so following the departure of American forces stationed at Field Azores in the Mata da Doca following the First World War.

[3] The evolution of the sport resulted in the appearance of the Santa Clara Foot-ball Club, which was presented to the public in October 1922, and became one of the founding members of the Ponta Delgada Football Association in April of the following year.