Lagoa das Sete Cidades: Our most recommended tours and activities

São Miguel West: Full-Day Van Tour with Lunch

1. São Miguel West: Full-Day Van Tour with Lunch

Explore the highlights of the western half of São Miguel island on this guided tour by van. Discover the famous crater lakes of Sete Cidades and Lagoa do Fogo, picturesque waterfalls, amazing cliffs, and stunning rock formations around the coast of the island. Start with a visit to Ribeira Grande, one of the most picturesque towns of the Azores, followed by a surprising view of some amazingly beautiful cliffs on the North coast. Then travel to the inner areas of the island to see the gorgeous waterfall of Salto do Cabrito, surrounded by wild vegetation. Drive to the top of Fogo Volcano to enjoy views of the most pristine and magical of the crater lakes of São Miguel. From the top of the mountain, enjoy the stunning views over a large portion of the island. After a tasty meal to restore your energy levels, head to Sete Cidades, to understand why this is considered by the postcard of the Azores. Enjoy views from two completely different perspectives over the famous twin lakes.  End the day in Mosteiros, on the western coast of the island, where the lava rocks have formed enchanting small islets and natural pools.

Azores: Sete Cidades Scenic Jeep Tour from Ponta Delgada

2. Azores: Sete Cidades Scenic Jeep Tour from Ponta Delgada

Get off the usual tourist trail on a 3-hour 4WD tour of the Sete Cidades (Seven Cities) region of the Azores island of São Miguel, departing from Ponta Delgada. Traveling by 4WD vehicle, you will experience the dramatic scenery of the volcanic crater and its flora and fauna in a more immersive fashion.  Drive to the mountain top to look down on the 2 impressive lakes of the caldera (basin), one with blue water (Lagoa Azul) and the other with green water (Lagoa Verde). Along the way, take in many other picturesque spots of São Miguel, including the peaceful lakes of Lagoa das Empadadas, Lagoa de Santiago, and Lagoa do Carvão.  Enjoy stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean, volcanic cones, and stretches of green, and go to villages that have played a vital role in the story of the island.

São Miguel: Full-Day Tour to Sete Cidades and Lagoa do Fogo

3. São Miguel: Full-Day Tour to Sete Cidades and Lagoa do Fogo

Start by visiting a traditional pineapple plantation, which is a biological culture developed on greenhouses where it’s possible to taste the pineapple´s liquor. Continue along the west coast of the island where it´s possible to enjoy the view of both São Miguel’s coasts from the Pico de Carvão‘s viewpoint. Surrounded by the greenest vegetation, visit the Vista do Rei‘s viewpoint at Sete Cidades. From this point, see the twin lakes with their varying colours. Then, inside the crater, admire the stunning Santiago lake. Head next to the stop will be made in the picturesque town of Sete Cidades where lunch will be served in a regional restaurant. After lunch, admire the beauty of São Nicolau church. In the afternoon, continue along to the Escalvado Viewpoint. Along the north coast, stop to visit the town of Ribeira Grande where you can explore its historic center. Visit the Regional Liquors' Factory to taste a variety of its products. The last stop will be at the fantastic Lagoa do Fogo for fantastic views of the island. Finally, return to Ponta Delgada, through Pico da Barrosa.

Sete Cidades: Half-Day ATV Quad Tour

4. Sete Cidades: Half-Day ATV Quad Tour

Drive a quad or ATV on this adventurous tour and experience the beauty of São Miguel Island. Reach the highest peaks of the mountains that surround Sete Cidades Volcano, dash along dirt roads, and absorb the incredible views of the lakes and ocean. Take the opportunity to visit some of the trails that are part of the Azores Airlines Rallye and enjoy both on-road and offroad moments. Expect adventure and stunning natural sights as your guides ensure your safety throughout the tour.

From Ponta Delgada: Half-Day Sete Cidades Single Quad Tour

5. From Ponta Delgada: Half-Day Sete Cidades Single Quad Tour

Enjoy a half-day quad tour around Sete Cidades, the largest freshwater lake in the Azores, situated in the western part of the island of São Miguel. Starting from Ponta Delgada, discover the stunning landscapes of the island.   Experience the amazing view over the island at the Pico do Carvão viewpoint, with Ponta Delgada on one side, and Ribeira Grande on the other. Climb up into the mountains to see the Lagoas Empadadas, and the Serra Devassa. The mountains and lakes in this region play a very important role supplying water to the villages. Stop at Canário Lake for one of the best views of the Boca do Inferno trail.   On the way back to the city, you will see the majestic view at Vista do Rei, providing you with spectacular views of the magical blue and green colors that characterize the waters of these lakes.

Sete Cidades: Kayaking and Biking Adventure

6. Sete Cidades: Kayaking and Biking Adventure

Start your cycling and kayaking trip at the activity center on the lakeshore. Paddle across the crystal clear lake on a kayak and admire the beautiful surroundings from the water. Afterward, pedal through this beautiful region on a bike. Discover the area on a self-guided tour. This fun and active trip is perfect for adventure lovers.

São Miguel Island: Sete Cidades Kayak Rental

7. São Miguel Island: Sete Cidades Kayak Rental

Venture onto the Lake of Sete Cidades, one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal. Savor breathtaking natural scenery aboard your canoe on a lake embedded in the crater of an amazing volcano. According to an ancient legend, this stunning lake was the result of a failed love story between a shepherd and a princess who were not meant to be together. The last time they met, the princess, who had blue eyes, cried so much that the Blue Lake was formed, while the shepherd's tears gave birth to the Green Lake. Admire the mystical colors of the 2 lakes located on the western part of São Miguel Island, and paddle your canoe out on the Blue Lake. Have fun canoeing for 30 minutes, 1 hour, or 2 hours, depending on the option selected.

São Miguel West: Sete Cidades and Fogo Tour with Lunch

8. São Miguel West: Sete Cidades and Fogo Tour with Lunch

Your first stop on this full-day circuit will be at Pico do Carvão viewpoint. From here you'll be able to see the north coast (Ribeira Grande) and south of the island (Ponta Delgada) of São Miguel Island, against the backdrop of a vast expanse of volcanic cones between the incredible Sete Cidades volcano and the majestic 900-meter-high fire volcano. Continuing to one of the most emblematic viewpoints of São Miguel, in the Azores, Vista do Rei, known as the King D. Carlos and Queen D. Amélia. Time to continue your incredible all-day circuit into the massive volcanic interior of the Sete Cidades, considered one of the most incredible locations on the island of Sao Miguel in the Azores, amid epic paths and flanked slopes of hydrangeas. If you have never known what it is like to be inside a volcanic crater, then this is yet another reason to book this incredible full-day guided tour. Admire the Seven Cities Lagoon at a must-stop on the famous bridge that divides it, in the center of a volcanic crater. Breathe nature in the quiet parish of Sete Cidades and visit São Nicolau church. With a heart purified by nature, time to go to the Escalvado viewpoint, situated on a pyroclastic cliff, where from the top, you can admire the Monasteries and Ferraria, generated by the volcanic force of this area. Lunch break (lunch included). After lunch, time to return to head towards the second highest point of the island of São Miguel, at 900 meters, where the Pico da Barrosa viewpoint is located. From here you can see the north coast with its city of Ribeira Grande and the city of Ponta Delgada on the south coast of the island, as well as the entire amazing Lagoa do Fogo crater. Going down the north coast, the next stop will be at the Lagoa do Fogo viewpoint. Next up is the Caldeira Velha Environmental Interpretation Center for visiting or bathing in natural hot springs pools. (Entry not included, available by choice or at customer’s expense). The last stop of your full-day tour will be at the Pineapple Plantations to learn the whole process of growing pineapple in greenhouses and see for yourself why pineapple is considered the King fruit in Sao Miguel, and the Azores.

Ponta Delgada: Sete Cidades UTV Tour

9. Ponta Delgada: Sete Cidades UTV Tour

São Miguel is the biggest island of the archipelago, at 62.1 km in length and 15.8 km at its maximum width. One of the 7 Natural Wonders of Portugal, it showcases the Green and Blue Lakes, which according to legend, were formed from the tears of a shepherd and a princess who shared a forbidden love. This tour takes you around the crater of the volcano of Sete Cidades, with breathtaking views of the lakes and sea, travel off roads that offer moments of great thrill and adrenaline. You will also enjoy the viewpoints of Pico da Cruz and Cumeeiras. The date of the tour can be changed depending on weather conditions, at no cost to the customer. 

São Miguel Island: Full Day All-in-One Tour

10. São Miguel Island: Full Day All-in-One Tour

Join this tour to visit the most iconic and historical areas of São Miguel Island. See views of the lakes from Vista do Rei, stop at the Santa Iria Viewpoint, try tea at a tea planation, try Furnas stew in Furnas Valley, and more. Start your journey to the Vista do Rei viewpoint and admire the landscape of the Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Verde lakes, located in Sete Cidades. Then, head to the mountains to enjoy the scenic view over Lagoa do Fogo and visit the Santa Iria Viewpoint. Stop at the Gorreana tea plantation and its factory. Taste black and green tea and then continue to Furnas Valley to admire the Pico do Ferro’s viewpoint. Watch powerful volcanic phenomena, known as fumaroles, in Furnas village.  Enjoy Furnas stew for lunch, a traditional dish cooked underground. Take a walk at Furnas Lake and learn about the Furnas stew cooking process. On your way back, drive along the south coast and stop at Vila Franca do Campo, the first capital of São Miguel.

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What people are saying about Lagoa das Sete Cidades

Overall rating

4.9 / 5

based on 1,472 reviews

Amazing half-day tour when you have a long layover. It was fairly foggy at first up in the mountains but they started to fade as the day kept going. Rodrigo was an amazing guide that translated between English & Portuguese, and was incredibly informative of the sites we saw. Highly Recommend!

It was wonderful tour with the best guide we had! Fransisco told us a lot of interesting stories and information about island and all places which we've visited. Landscape and all views were great.

the trip was perfect. We had the best guide, very friendly with sense of humour and lot of knowledge.

Very entertaining guide. Saw lots of things that we would never have found on our own.

This tour was a wonderful introduction to the island!