Menu
Go to Chapter 1: Discover the Azores: A Family Adventure in Portugal’s Hidden Gem.
After a long flight with a two-hour layover in Lisbon, we landed in São Miguel. From above, the island’s vibrant green color shone through the clouds. São Miguel is the central and largest island in the Azores, often referred to as ‘The Green Island’ due to its lush pastures, valleys, and rainforests.
Each island has a tiny airport with a single runway and a control tower. We hadn’t even entered the building when we already saw our luggage on the conveyor belt. The airport in São Miguel is located in Ponta Delgada, the capital of the island and of all the Azores.
We rent our car and drove for about twenty minutes to our hotel, where we would be staying for the next six days. Pestana Bahia Praia Nature & Beach Resort . The hotel was situated right on the southern coast of the island, adjacent to the ocean, and its location was perfect – right in the center of the island. Crossing the island at its widest part (the longer section) takes no more than an hour and a half, so there’s no need to change accommodations on the island.
Car rental: An excellent search engine is economy car rentals. They also work with smaller rental companies that sometimes offer lower costs in the market. There is an option to cancel up to 48 hours before picking up the car.
The next day, we woke up with great excitement to get to know the lovely place we had arrived at. First thing, we checked the island’s cameras and the forecast. I saw that two of the island’s famous calderas were foggy, so we chose Furnas as our destination. Furnas is a charming and very beautiful town, the most thermally active and geologically vibrant place on the island. In the town center, geysers erupt, and there are hot springs rich in minerals and iron, botanical gardens, and a beautiful caldera. On our way to Furnas, we visited the following lovely and hidden lake.
On the way, we stopped at a stunning viewpoint overlooking the Furnas Caldera, which even managed to elicit an excited shout from my youngest son, who is usually hard to impress with landscapes.
In the plan, a bike tour in Furnas and the caldera. In reality, two bike rental places I had identified in advance were not found… After inquiring with the locals, I located one of them that had moved to a new place. The owner explained to us how to get from the town to the caldera, and we set off. Soon we realized that she forgot to tell us a very important detail… that the road to the caldera is a very long uphill on the road! By the time we realized this, it was too late, but with a lot of motivation and encouragement for my young son, we managed to get through it and arrived at Lake Furnas.
At the lake, there is another geyser area where dishes are cooked in the belly of the earth! At six in the morning, they put in a pot, cover it, and in the middle of the day, they take it out of the ground and bring it to the restaurants in the town.
Another amazing place in the Furnas Valley is the Terra Nostra Botanical Gardens. In the gardens, you can see many species of vegetation suitable for the area, and they are among the most amazing I’ve seen! Additionally, there is a thermal pool of almost 40 degrees. We arrived at the end of the day, so we didn’t have time to go in and just took a walk around the gardens.
After another early start, I followed my now usual routine of checking the island’s webcams. To my delight, I saw that one of the island’s most famous sites, the Sete Cidades lakes, were visible. Filled with excitement, I decided that this would be our destination for the day. Before descending to the lakes, the road climbs to one of the highest points on the island, offering numerous viewpoints over the Sete Cidades Caldera. These viewpoints are among the most famous on the island and truly live up to their reputation. Along the way, you can see smaller calderas and unique lakes.
We slowly descended towards the lakes. The road leading to them is stunning, flanked on both sides by hydrangea flowers. You can visit the lakes below by bike or kayak. Of course, there are many hiking trails leading from the viewpoints above to the lakes below. We opted out of them as they are one-way and lengthy. We chose to bike along the lakes for about two hours. We rented bikes here:
One of the most enjoyable activities to get acquainted with the Sete Cidades Lakes is kayaking. There are kayaks of all types, for singles, couples, or even for families. It is necessary to book in advance.
We ended the day at one of the coolest places on the island – a natural ocean pool where the cold waters of the ocean mix with thermal waters, creating an ideal temperature for bathing! In the pool, there are ropes to hold onto during high tide when there are more waves.
Lake Fogo in São Miguel seems to play hard to get. It’s located in the highest caldera on the island and 90% of the time, it’s completely shrouded in fog. Even back in my home country, I followed it through the island’s cameras, which often showed a gray and disheartening screen. It’s a wild and special lake, and I really wanted to see it. The next day, we woke up to a sunny day, and I immediately checked the camera. Just then, it decided to stop working and showed an image from the previous night at 11 PM. Since it was so sunny outside and the lake was a 20-minute drive from the hotel, I took a chance on it. We set out on the road leading up to it, with occasional viewpoints where you can see the southern coast and sometimes the northern coast of São Miguel. There are even viewpoints where you can see both! Finally, we reached the highest viewpoint, and this is what was revealed to us:
To visit the lake, one must descend a path built from natural steps. It seems simple, but it’s really not. The steps are high, and both the descent and ascent are challenging. The lake itself is a nature reserve, and it’s forbidden to swim in it. The landscape is very wild and primal.
On the way back up, which was challenging, it began to rain, getting stronger and stronger. Despite all the warnings I read and heard that in the Azorean islands you can’t rely on the weather and a sunny day might turn to rain and fog, we didn’t take our raincoats…
We returned to the car completely soaked, not a single dry spot left on our bodies. This was our first encounter with the unpredictable weather.
Fortunately, the optimal place on the island for spending time in such weather was only ten minutes away from us. Thermal hot springs in the middle of the jungle… we immediately drove there. Of course, the place is also suitable for leisure in any other weather.
The next morning, the weather seemed indecisive about what it wanted to be. Due to this constant uncertainty, we decided to ignore it and went on a lovely trail in a rainforest that leads to a beautiful waterfall in the eastern part of the island. During the drive, the skies darkened and a heavy fog began to envelop us..
Waze led us through Furnas (which we visited on the first day), and we made a short stop to see the geysers erupting right in the center of the town. The locals put bags of corn in there and cook it that way.
Gradually, I realized that the chances of us successfully completing the trail were not high. But we continued anyway. After an hour’s drive, we arrived, but the rain refused to stop… and even intensified. We understood that we had no choice but to turn back and return.
On the way back, Waze led us through the tea plantation on the island. The Azores is the only country in Europe that has tea fields, due to its weather and climate. We went on a short tour of the factory that produces green and black tea.
After the brief tour, the rain eased a little and turned into a light drizzle. We went on a charming, well-marked trail through the tea fields for some fresh air. The rain was persistent, so right after the trail, we set Waze for a shopping mall in Ponta Delgada for some afternoon leisure.
I was determined not to give up on the trail in the forest to the waterfall, so the next day we tried our luck again and set out. Again, the weather didn’t look very encouraging, but when we arrived at our destination, the rain was really weak and didn’t bother us much. At the start of the trail, we were happily greeted by three cats and a beautiful rooster they had adopted.
Generally, in the Azorean islands, there’s this thing with chickens and ducks wandering around freely in various places.
The trail passed by a stunning river in a rainforest! It was a bit muddy due to the weather we had been experiencing. The waterfall fell with great force. On sunny days, it’s possible to bathe in the pool at its base, but when we visited, the water’s fall and the flow were too strong. Although everything was foggy and cloudy, we didn’t feel it much on the trail since it mostly passes through a dense rainforest.
We returned to the car happy that we had managed to complete the trail and began driving towards the island’s eastern coast – the Nordeste area. This area is considered stunningly beautiful due to the green cliffs that dramatically drop into the sea. But… the Azores… as we’ve come to understand… they’re the ones in charge, not us, and on the way, a fog so thick began that we couldn’t see a meter ahead. Apart from the knowledge that there was a sea to our right, there was no evidence of it…
In the continuation of my stories, it can be seen that the opposite may also happen. A day that begins rainy, cloudy, and foggy turns into an amazing sunny day.
The next day was the departure from São Miguel Island and the transition to Flores Island. After two rainy days, today the sun came out, and the weather outside was the most beautiful since we arrived on the island!
Our flight was in the afternoon, so we decided to take a short drive with the car to enjoy the beautiful sun. We went up again to the beautiful Lagoa do Fogo and on the way back, we stopped at a cute waterfall in the area. From there, we hurried to the small airfield in Ponta Delgada for the propeller plane (yes, that’s how you fly between the islands) that would take us to Flores Island – a tiny and most westerly island in the archipelago.
In São Miguel Island, there are several companies that deal with various types of extreme activities, especially attractions related to water.
♥ canyoning.
One of the most fun attractions! A tour inside a stream’s channel accompanied by sliding down waterfalls or jumping. The activity is suitable from the age of five and lasts about three hours in a most magical place called the Riberia do Caldeiros Reserve. It is necessary to book a place for the activity in advance (the company is highly recommended):
♥ Whale Watching Cruise.
The Azorean islands are an excellent area for whale watching. Spring and summer months are the optimal time for this. In addition to whales, dolphins can also be seen. A great company for such a cruise and also for swimming with dolphins:
♥ Kayaking Trip.
Adjacent to São Miguel Island is the islet of Vila Franca. It is an ancient sunken volcano with a natural pool inside. One of the most enjoyable ways to reach it is by kayaks. You can book here:
A calmer option for kayaking is in the Sete Cidades lakes. You can book here:
♥ ATV Tour.
You can go on a half-day guided ATV tour to Lagoa do Fogo or the Sete Cidades lakes. The tours are accompanied by breathtaking views of green peaks and the ocean. Reserve a spot here:
In the next chapter, we will explore the visit to the tiny Flores Island – the pink island, and its neighbor, the Corvo Island: Discover the Enchanting Beauty of Flores and Corvo with a Glimpse of Faial
