Azores in 5 days: a São Miguel itinerary
São Miguel is the largest island of the Azores and the easiest to reach. In five days you can see whales, look down into crater lakes, bathe in hot springs and eat a stew cooked in volcanic ground. Distances are short: nowhere on the island is much more than an hour and a half from Ponta Delgada.
Ponta Delgada and the whales
Walk around the black-and-white streets of Ponta Delgada, then join a whale and dolphin watching trip from the marina. Dolphins are seen all year; most whales pass between spring and autumn.
Ponta Delgada Centre → Whale and Dolphin Watching
Night: Ponta Delgada · hotels in Ponta Delgada
Sete Cidades
Drive about 30 minutes to the Vista do Rei viewpoint over the blue and green lakes, then walk to the Boca do Inferno viewpoint. At low tide, bathe in the hot spring that flows into the sea at Ponta da Ferraria.
Sete Cidades and Vista do Rei Viewpoint → Boca do Inferno Viewpoint → Ponta da Ferraria
Night: Ponta Delgada · hotels in Ponta Delgada
Lagoa do Fogo and Caldeira Velha
See Lagoa do Fogo, a crater lake in a nature reserve, then bathe in the warm pools of Caldeira Velha among giant ferns. Finish at Gorreana, the oldest tea plantation in Europe still in production.
Lagoa do Fogo (Lake of Fire) → Caldeira Velha → Gorreana Tea Plantation
Night: Ponta Delgada · hotels in Ponta Delgada
Furnas
Move to Furnas. Watch the pots of cozido being lifted out of the hot ground by the lake, have the stew for lunch, then swim in the iron-rich warm pool of Terra Nostra park. In the evening, the small hot pools of Poça da Dona Beija stay open late.
Furnas Lake and the Cozido → Terra Nostra Park → Poça da Dona Beija
Night: Furnas · hotels in Furnas
The north-east
Drive to the wild north-east for the gardens of the Ponta do Sossego viewpoint, then walk the Salto do Prego trail through an abandoned village to a waterfall.
Ponta do Sossego Viewpoint → Salto do Prego Trail
Night: Furnas · hotels in Furnas
Practical tips
- Hire a car: it is the only practical way to reach the viewpoints and trailheads.
- Fog can hide the crater lakes. Check the webcams in the morning and keep a flexible day for Sete Cidades and Lagoa do Fogo.
- The cozido cooks for hours in the ground: book your restaurant in Furnas the day before.
- Bring an old dark swimsuit for the hot springs: the iron in the water can stain light fabrics.
Want to go deeper?
This route is also a full circuit with more stops, a map and hotel suggestions.
