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With little tourism flowing through here (yet), the islands and cities don’t show the typical signs of mass tourism. Chain hotels, chain restaurants, streets filled with sourvenir shops and tour companies at every turn….none of that. Ok well a little of that, there are souvenir shops and tour companies to be found but they don’t attack you at every turn. I’ve seen it described in other articles that the locals want to allow for developments to further their income from tourism but while preserving their history, beautiful landscapes and way of life.
Quick Facts from Wikipedia:
One of the most beautiful and remote places in Europe, the Portuguese archipelago has been called Europe’s answer to Hawaii and the next big vacation destination. These nine volcanic islands are situated in the northern Atlantic, about 1,500 km (950 mi) from the western edge of the Iberian Peninsula and about 3,900 km (2,400 mi) from North America. Seismic activity, though rare, still occurs on occasion.
The official language is Portuguese…but for those visiting the Azores on holiday, however, the good news is that most of the people involved with tourism speak at least enough English to be able to communicate with tourists. (we found that everyone we interacted with in Sao Miguel spoke enough English that we could communicate just fine)
There is very little crime in the Azores. What little crime exists is mostly drug related. There are no reports of crimes against tourists.
On most islands, you can rent a car. These being volcanic islands, in many places the terrain is steep and rugged. The roads wind around very steep hillsides. Cycling around the islands is possible if you are in great shape, and don’t mind a lot of hill climbing.
According to some of the locals, there is certainly a noted increase in tour companies offering active, adventure driven options across all of the islands which can be very inviting for some but we rented a car, booked ourselves an awesome apartment on Airbnb in the middle of Ponta Delgada and set off on our own tour of Sao Miguel Island for a week. Was there more we wished we did? Aboslutely!! But we wanted to share our top experiences that should be on everyone’s ‘must see’ list for Sao Miguel Island!
A natural “hidden” hot springs in the ocean on the western coast. This free swimming hole is spectacular to visit at any time really. There’s a ladder to climb down in the water and at high tide it’s maybe 6-7ft deep and there are many ropes criss-crossed under the water to give you something to hang on to and just enjoy floating your cares away. It’s shielded from the harsh waves of the Atlantic Ocean but still gives you a nice push and pull of the tide.
I do recommend bringing water shoes though since the area around the swimming hole is all volcanic rock. The bottom of the hole is sandy though once you can sit/stand on the bottom (it will make sense in a second, keep reading…..)
Now here’s the real secret….plan your trip around the tide schedule for this one. Come about an hour before low tide. We visited here in August and when we first got in, the water was cool and refreshing and deep enough that I couldn’t touch bottom. But as the tide receded, the water in the swimming hole got warmer and warmer. If you are here at this point in the tide schedule, you’ll notice that those “in the know” will be hanging out at the back end of the swimming area because as the water level goes down, there is a natural hot spring under the rocks that heats the surrounding waters.
At the lowest point in the tide, I would say we were in about 2 feet of water and even sitting/standing a good 20-30ft away from the back of the swimming hole, it felt more like a spa than ocean water. The water coming out from the hot springs under the rocks is actually too hot to stand right next to it so you’ll notice the crowd slowly shifting outwards to the middle of the swimming area. This is where you get this wonderfully relaxing balance of hot springs water coming from your back and cool ocean water from your front.
Loved this hike! Lagoa do Fogo (“Lake of Fire”) is a crater lake at the center of Sao Miguel island. Now there is a trail in to the lake that comes highly recommended but we decided to trek down a small, steep trail that began at the top of the rim of the crater at the Miradouro (viewpoint) da Lagoa do Fogo. Don’t start this one late in the day as you will want a good few hours of sunlight. There is a small parking lot there where you can park and get an amazing view of the lake on a clear day.
Going the way we did, how far you can make it around the lake is going to depend on the water level. We hiked about 2 hours, stopping for a number of photos and a couple geocaches. I think we made it about 1/2 way around before we had to choose either to wade through ankle deep water or turn back around.
Tour the Tea Factories
Thanks to the mild temperatures and rich volcanic soil on the island (typically between 50°F and 80°F), there are two tea factories and one plantation on the island. These are the only two tea plantations in Europe for industrial purposes. Both are open year round for visitors to tour the factories and learn about the tea plant and how the different leaves are harvested and processed. You can even walk around in the tea fields and sample the different tea types for free at both locations. I highly recommend bringing home some loose leaf tea as gifts/souvenirs from both locations! We sure did 🙂
Gorreana Tea Factory and Plantation – The busier of the two factories for tourists but still plenty of room to explore. Take a free self-guided tour through their traditional factory. See the fresh tea leaves being processed through the many steps and sophisticated procedures using 19th century equipment.
Chá Porto Formoso – This is the smaller of the two factories and produces black tea. Before taking your free tour, you’ll watch a short video about the process and history of the factory. (Video is available in English, Spanish and German). This factory has a more personal feeling than Gorreana and since the new owners began rejuvinating the factory in 1998, it’s become a more popular place of interest on the island.
If you do a search for Azores or Sao Miguel island, it’s very likely you will see many pictures posted from Miradouro da Grota do Inferno. Often called the best miradouro (viewpoint) in the Azores. The weather is key here. You definitely want to make sure you visit on a clear day for this part of the island. You can use the local island webcams on SpotAzores.com to see what the Sete Cidades area is like before you come.
TIP: Most people tend to park outside the gates on the main road but you can absolutely drive in and park inside the park. There is plenty of space and if you get up their early, you can literally park at the foot of the steps leading up to the viewpoint.
A short drive down from the Boco do Inferno viewpoint is Sete Cidades. A parish in the center of a gigantic volcanic crater that, according to Azorean legend, the two lakes here – one blue, one green – were formed from the tears of a shepherd and princess who shared a forbidden love. The area offers a few different restaurants, parks, hiking trails and bike rental/tours too.
We highly recommend renting kayaks or standup paddleboards from Futurismo to enjoy the lakes and amazing panoramic views to the top of the crater.
While we didn’t have time to hike it during our week in the Azores, there is a 12km trail (Mata do Canario) that follows the rim of the crater and then down into Sete Cidades.
Now you may be a little perplexed when you plug the address in to Google Maps for this one since it will lead you to a spot well within the city. The pineapples from the Azorean islands are nicknamed the “king of fruits.” They came from a need to fill a void in export trading in the mid 19th century after a fungal disease, “gummosis” decimated the citrus crops on the island. The Azorean pineapple is a little smaller than what we are used to in the US but they are SO juicy and SO tasty, we had to go check out the plantation where they are grown to see what their secret is.
When you arrive, you can freely tour the plantation greenhouses and read about the 18 stages a pineapple goes through to get from rhizome to ready-to-harvest fruit. And all of this is done inside of glass greenhouses using traditional cultivation techniques. They also have a unique step in the process of applying smoke to the growing plants to enhance the aroma and flavor. This technique is unique to the Azores and can be found nowhere else in the world!
After your tour, be sure to stop in the gift shop to find unique products and gifts and even pick up some pineapple liqueur. And just outside the gift shop, you can sit on their patio, enjoy the breeze and sip on a number of pineapple drinks like these pineapple mojitos!
Now this is a little slice of paradise and basically an ocean aquarium that you can swim in! Vila Franca do Campo is an idyllic islet just off the coast of São Miguel, formed from the submerged remains of an ancient volcano. It’s a natural swimming and snorkeling haven with crystal-clear waters surrounded by the walls of the volcanic crater. The calm, shallow waters make it an ideal spot for families or anyone new to snorkeling. While the soft sandy bottom is great for swimming, water shoes are highly recommended for walking around outside the water, especially on the rugged volcanic terrain.
Access to the islet is limited to 400 visitors per day to protect its unique ecosystem. The ferry service runs seasonally from June 1st to October 14th, with tickets priced at just €8 per person. While online ticketing is available, it typically requires an Azorean debit card, so most visitors will need to purchase tickets in person at the ferry terminal starting around 9:30 AM. Lines can vary depending on the season and weather, with peak times requiring waits of up to 2-3 hours.
However, on quieter days, especially near the off-season or in less favorable weather, you might be able to secure a ticket and hop on the ferry without much hassle.
One of the highlights of Sao Miguel island is its hot springs and thermal pools. We visited Caldeira Velha in the center of the island to soak in the heated waters, surrounded by what feels like a tropical paradise.
I think it was less than 10€ per person to get in and gain access to the thermal pools. Tickets are valid for 2 hours and that was plenty of time for us. There are 3 different “hot” pools to choose from that are fed by a super hot one at the top. That one is too hot to touch and is roped off (literally the water is boiling). Each pool down from the top one is a little cooler but even the one furthest from the top is still plenty warm. I believe the range when we visited was 78-95° F.
There is also a “cold” pool up the trail a bit that is underneath a waterfall but it was still more like room termperature.
Have you visited Sao Miguel island? What was your favorite experience? Tell us in the comments!
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