São Miguel: Sete Cidades and Crater Lakes Hike

Start the day by exploring the Sete Cidades volcanic complex, located on the west side of São Miguel island. Start the trail passing through a green area mixed with rocky soils. You will then climb to one of the highest points of Sete Cidades, from where you can see the centre of the island and its lakes. As you descend, enjoy the vast pastures on the south coast and its paths lined with hydrangeas in various colours. Continue your descent through a cryptomeria forest towards the Lagoa das Empadadas. You will then pass through an extensive blanket of moss and its surrounding vegetation until you reach Lagoa do Canário. Continue the walk towards one of the emblematic viewpoints on São Miguel island, the Grota do Inferno viewpoint. Before descending into the parish, you will visit the Vista de Rei viewpoint, overlooking the blue lake and the green lake, where you can also see the abandoned “Monte Palace” hotel. When you reach the parish of Sete Cidades, enjoy a picnic lunch. After a short break, the tour continues by van towards the Escalvado viewpoint to see the parish of Mosteiros and the Ponta da Ferraria. Visit the local viewpoint which provide a panoramic view of the entire lava platform including the Ferraria Lighthouse. Finish the day with thermal baths in the natural pools of Ferraria. The thermal springs have volcanic origins and occur underground in the ocean, close to the coast. The combination of salt water and thermal water makes this place so special and well-known. Note: You should pay attention to the tide conditions, as high tide can reduce the water temperature while low tide can make the waters excessively hot. Bearing this in mind, the exact itinerary may change according to the weather forecast and tide predictions.