Mother Nature has created a paradise of natural beauty on Earth, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. Places from which you can observe 50 shades of green, enjoy natural hot springs, black sand beaches and many traditions all in one place. São Miguel, the largest and most visited island in the Azores, offers all this and much more to its visitors.
Interesting facts about the Azores
The Azores are a Portuguese archipelago surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean. They were discovered by Portuguese sailors in 1427. They are located approximately 1,500 km from the capital of Portugal – Lisbon. A total of 9 Azores islands of volcanic origin make up the Autonomous Region of the Azores, one of Portugal’s two autonomous regions. The other is Madeira.
As the temperature in the Azores is stable throughout the year, the islands enjoy year-round tourist traffic. The average air temperature is 18 degrees Celsius, with July being the driest month and November the wettest. However, we know from personal experience that whenever you go to the Azores, you need to be prepared for the weather to change literally from one minute to the next! Even if you wake up in the morning to a rainy day, don’t give up, because as they say, after every storm the sun comes out. In the Azores, this is doubly true.
Directions
We went to São Miguel Island during our three-month adventure in Portugal. We flew directly from Lisbon for a few €. The airport is located in the capital city of Ponta Delgada. However, if you are arriving at a later hour, we recommend booking accommodation near the airport for at least 1 night and then moving on.
However, be wary of taxi drivers who like to pretend that they don’t have the change for your bills. Our guy charged 7 euros for the ride, but since we only had 10 euros, he claimed he didn’t have any change and so the ride cost us 3 euros more.
Accommodation
You have a choice of 2 options when selecting your accommodation. Either you decide to stay somewhere in the middle of the island, from where you will have the same distance to everywhere, or you decide to combine your accommodation in such a way that you eventually cross the whole island.
We chose option number 1 because the island is relatively small (65 km in length and 15 km in width), so it is not very difficult to travel from one side to the other. We therefore decided to stay in one place all the time, which saved us a lot of hassle with packing and moving, which we consider to be activities that can make the overall stay during holiday unpleasant.
We found accommodation through airbnb and it cost us about 350 euros for both of us for 10 nights (crazy, right?). There is almost nothing in the village, only a church, a park, one local shop and about two restaurants. This made it all the more possible to enjoy the local atmosphere and let us tell you, it had its charm!
Hiking
When we planned our holiday in the Azores, we were prepared for days of hiking, exhaustion and lots of steps. Wrong! In our experience we would call it more like CAR HIKING, as you can get directly to the top by car almost everywhere.
Of course, it’s up to you which style of holiday you prefer. For those who love hiking, there are plenty of hiking trails. However, if you are more of a gourmet tourist, you will appreciate the fact that you can drive up to the viewpoint and enjoy the magnificent view almost effortlessly.
São Miguel Island consists of three different worlds:
- Breathtaking viewpoints
- Hidden waterfalls
- Natural springs
But let’s get this in order. If you want to enjoy the Azores in all its glory, we recommend you follow the current weather. More than once we had to change our plans in the middle of the day because it was foggy or it started to rain. However, if it rains on one side of the island, it may not rain on the other side! And so you have to be flexible and determined to change your decisions from minute to minute to keep up with the crazy weather.
But let’s move on to the TOP 10 places you have to see!
1. Sete Cidaded
The most beautiful part of São Miguel is considered to be the area around the Sete Cidades lakes. These lakes can be viewed from several vantage points, but not all of them offer the same view. Miradouro da Boca do Inferno (see photo) is definitely the most beautiful view of the island.
If you’re lucky, the view of 50 shades of green will definitely leave you speechless. We had to go there three times because twice it was foggy and we could see literally nothing, but it was definitely worth it. Our hearts were pumping and tears came to our eyes at the thought of how beautiful nature is and how lucky we are to have the opportunity to travel and see such beauties of the world.
Miradouro da Vista do Rei or Miradouro do Cerrado das Freiras also offer a nice view of the above-mentioned Sete Cidades. The former, however, is certainly no match for the latter.
2. Cascata da Ribeira Quente
The second place is occupied by the largest waterfall on the island, which is hidden between two tunnels. It is very difficult to find it because unless you know its exact location, you can miss it very easily.
There are not a lot of tourists at this place, so it is often difficult to navigate by the parked cars. We recommend parking your car in front of the tunnels (on the right) and walking about 5 minutes to the end of the first tunnel. When you look to the right you are so lost for words! The most beautiful waterfall of Ribeira Quente is here.
For the brave and physically fit, it is possible to climb directly under the waterfall (see photo). The path takes about 20 minutes, but is not marked in any way. However, since the waterfall is always in front of your eyes, it is very easy to get there.
3. Caldeira Velha
Imagine this: you are walking inside a jungle with exotic plants all around you, birds are chirping and you hear running water. This is the Caldeira Velha Natural Monument in the Azores.
There is a beautiful waterfall and several pools with thermal water of different temperatures. Access to the recreational park is limited, so you don’t have to worry about crowded pools or excessive noise. However, what you need to be careful of is early booking even a few days in advance. You can book your tickets here. The complex is one of the most visited places on the island.
4. Lagoa do Fogo
Another interesting area is the surroundings of Lake Fogo. The name Fogo translates to fog, so we probably don’t need to tell you what kind of weather prevails there. Again the rule of rapid weather variability applies and therefore you need to be patient. If you arrive at the place and you can’t see even one meter in front of you there is no need to give up. Try to wait a few minutes and maybe luck will smile at you.
The hiking trails around the lake and the panoramic views of Miradouro da Barrosa and Miradouro da Lagoa da Fogo are also very famous.
5. Miradouro de Santa Iria
Miradouro de Santa Iria is definitely one of the top views on the island. At first glance, it may seem like an ordinary roadside stop, but the opposite is true. The viewpoint provides a spectacular view of the cliffs, hills and ocean. And trust us, those three things are a bulletproof combination.
The advantage is that nobody stays there too long, so you can very easily have the whole place to yourself. Isn’t it beautiful?
6. Salto do Prego
The second most magical waterfall on the island is Salto do Prego. However, don’t let Google Maps fool you and be prepared for it to be a good hour from the car park to your destination. Google Maps showed us that we were about 3 minutes away, but it was not the case 😀
And so, unprepared, without any food or water, we set out to discover the waterfall, which took more than an hour to reach. We recommend that you bring plenty of drinking water or some refreshments in addition to your swimsuit, as you may spend several hours at the waterfall.
7. Poca da Dona Beija
Poca da Dona Beija is a natural spa located in Furnas. There are five different thermal pools, which are heated by an iron water spring. Tickets to these spas cannot be bought in advance, so expect a longer queue (30 to 60 minutes). Don’t be discouraged though, it’s definitely worth it! We recommend visiting the spa during the rain, it has its own charm.
And one more important thing! Be careful what you wear, as the iron water in the springs is orange. Unless you don’t want to ruin your new swimsuit or towel, we recommend bringing older items that you won’t regret throwing away. We were there twice, which says it all! You will love this place.
8. Miradouro do Pico do Ferro
Another enchanting sight on the island is Miradouro do Pico do Ferro. This viewpoint is located about 5 kilometres from the town of Furnas, on the road to Ribeira Grande. It offers a fantastic view of the lagoon and the volcanic valley of Furnas from above.
Like all places on the island, it’s easy to get here by car, so as they say: a lot of music for little money, even if the petrol is quite expensive nowadays.
9. Salto do Cabrito
Another place worth visiting is the Cabrito waterfall. The waterfall is conveniently located in the centre of the island and is close to the aforementioned Santa Iria viewpoint.
After a short 15-minute walk down the hill from the car park, you will find the Salto Do Cabrito waterfall. It is therefore a much more accessible place than the previous Salto do Prego waterfall.
However, be prepared for the water to be quite cold and unless the sun is shining, it can be quite uncomfortable. But we enjoyed our stay and bath in the waterfall to the fullest thanks to the sunshine!
10. Grená park
The last place that is definitely worth mentioning is the Grená Park, which is located next to Lake Furnas. Grená Park offers visitors easy hiking trails that are complemented by several waterfalls, in addition to beautiful nature, chirping birds and many shades of green.
Entrance to the park is 10 euros, but the price also includes renting a bicycle, which you can ride around the whole of Lake Furnas. More info about the park and the current price list can be found here.
BONUS – three more places worth visiting!
Even though we’ve already closed the top ten, we’d like to give you 3 bonus picks that you’re guaranteed to love.
One of them is a visit to the only tea plantations in Europe called Gorreana Tea Factory. Besides walking through the tea fields, you can see the whole process of tea processing, taste their spot products, or buy products typical for the region.
Did you know that São Miguel Island is also the only place in Europe where pineapples grow in a greenhouse? You can find out more about this when you visit a pineapple plantation located just a few minutes from the centre of Ponta Delgada. You can also taste a variety of pineapple products, which you can buy to support local farmers.
The last place we want to tell you about is the black sand beach Praia dos Mosteiros. It’s definitely the most beautiful beach on the island and a must see!
