5 days on the islands of the Azores: Portuguese islands that will seduce you

The Azores Islands: standing alone in the middle of the Atlantic, 1,500 km off the coast of Portugal, are the 9 islands of the Azores. The Azores, a little jewel in the Atlantic, are little-known to many people, except when it comes to the famous Azores anticyclone, which Evelyne Dhéliat regularly mentions in her weather report.

9 islands with different characteristics, far apart from each other (600 km between the two furthest islands). Their enchanting landscapes won’t disappoint. The Azores are a lovely blend of New Zealand, Canada, Hawaii and Great Britain. Vegetation, flowers, lakes, great plains… If you want to discover all the islands, you need to stay for at least 3 weeks or make several trips to the Azores. As I can’t cover all the islands of the Azores in this article, I’ve chosen to take you with me for 5 days to the main island of the Azores: São Miguel. It’s nicknamed “Ilha Verde” (the green island) and you’ll soon understand why!

The Azores.

Practical info

Weather: Temperatures fluctuate between 15 and 25 degrees all year round. The weather can be capricious, with bright sunshine followed by clouds, rain, storms and sunshine again, but it’s always pleasant, and it’s precisely thanks to this weather that the landscapes are so lush and sublime. Two important things to know about the weather:

• don’t trust the weather forecast on your cell phone
• to see the weather in real time and decide on your itinerary, I recommend these two live webcam sites: www.spotazores.com and www.visitazores.com/fr/webcams

You should know that if the weather isn’t fine where you are, the sun may be shining 20 minutes away. The sun always shines somewhere on the island, you just have to find out where 🙂

Hotels: I recommend booking 2 or even 3 hotels over 1 week. Although the island of São Miguel is small, it’s nice to discover different facets of the island without having to travel many kilometers.

Transport : I strongly recommend renting a car to discover the island from top to bottom.

Gastronomy: Azorean gastronomy is full of succulent dishes and I can’t give you an exhaustive list, but don’t miss 4 specialties during your stay:

• Lapas grelhadas: grilled limpets with garlic parsley butter,
• Bolo levêdo: a delicious, round, slightly sweet bread that resembles Madeira’s Bolo de caco (don’t tell that to the people of the Azores :)) This bread is often served buttered and marbled with garlic. Delicious!
• Cozido das furnas : I’ll tell you more about this later, a specialty from the island of São Miguel cooked in the volcano,
• Tuna tataki: tuna fishing is ubiquitous in the Azores. It’s delicious and ultra-fresh.

Lapas grelhadas.

day 1 in São Miguel: breathtaking panoramas

We start by discovering the west of São Miguel island. I advise you to take at least two days to visit this part of the island. For these first nights, your “base” can be in the villages of Mosteiros, Sete Cidade, Candelaria, Ginetes, Santa Barbara or Bretanha.

1st stop > Miradouro Visto do Rei. You’ll often see the word “Miradouro” in Portuguese, referring to viewpoints. One of your first stops will probably be Miradouro Vista do Rei (the King’s viewpoint). From here, you’ll have a lovely view of the Lagoa das Sete Cidades (Lake of Seven Cities). Just behind this viewpoint stands a huge disused building. This is the Monte Palace Hotel, now abandoned and the subject of numerous URBEX explorations. Entering the hotel is forbidden, but possible (at your own risk).

Hiking alert : from this viewpoint, you can follow a path from Miradouro Visto do Rei towards Sete Cidades (7.7km).

2nd stop > Miradouro Grota do Inferno. To get there, follow the “Lagoa Canario” signs. You’ll see a gate at the entrance to the lake and parking for your car. Walk through the gate, and immediately to the left you can follow a small path to see the small Lagoa Canario. And after a 2km walk, you’ll be treated to an incredible panorama of Sete Cidades.

Hiking alert: Serra Devassa PRC05SMI – 5km – 2H: This trail starts and finishes at the Lagoa do Canário parking lot, and takes around 2 hours. It features the largest number of lagoons on São Miguel Island. Among them are Lagoa das Éguas, Lagoa Rasa and Lagoa do Carvão.

After your hike, get back in your car and drive down to Lagoa Sete Cidades. On the way down, I recommend two stops.

3rd stop > Miradouro do Cerrado das Freiras. From this vantage point you can admire the view over the Sete Cidades lake, where you can perfectly distinguish the two colors of the lakes: Lagoa verde (green lake) and Lagoa Azul (blue lake). The contrasting colors of the two lakes are breathtaking.

The green and blue lakes of Sete Cidades.

4th stop > Miradouro da Lagoa de Santiago, a small lake with a tiny parking lot where people don’t necessarily stop, yet it’s one of my favorite lakes. The water is emerald green.

Lagoa de Santiago.

day 2 in São Miguel: a breath of fresh air!

1st stop > Boat tour. The Azores are one of the world’s largest whale and dolphin sanctuaries. So it’s almost inevitable to plan a boat trip to the Azores to discover these cetaceans. I recommend Terra do Pico in Mosteiros, a 3-hour boat tour to see whales and dolphins. The price is €50/person, there are a maximum of 10 of you on the zodiac boat and there are two departures during the day: at 9:00 am or 2:30 pm.

Zodiac tour in search of whales and dolphins.

2nd stop > Lunch. Stay in Mosteiros for lunch at O Américo de Barbosa. A small restaurant that doesn’t look like much, but serves delicious local dishes. Their specialty is octopus, and don’t miss their bolo levêdo. Succulent!

Pão levêdo.

3rd stop > Activities. For a change from hiking, I recommend a horse ride with Sete Cidades horse riders or a kayak tour with Futurismo Azores Adventures.

4th stop > Natural hot-water pool. At the end of the day (if the tide is out), I strongly recommend you go and watch the sun set at the Ponta da Ferraria natural pool. Park at the spa parking lot, then follow the path to the natural pools. The pools are heated by hot springs, with temperatures fluctuating between 24 and 36°C all year round. You’ll be swimming in the Atlantic Ocean at 35°C. An incredible experience. All around, you can admire beaches with solidified lava flows.

day 3: Plantations in the center of the island

We leave the west and head for the center of the island. I advise you to choose a hotel in Furnas to discover this part of the island.

1st stop > Pineapple plantations. On the way, stop off at a pineapple plantation. There are several of them, and I recommendSanto Antonio Pineapple, a small producer compared with the larger ones, but one that offers a guided tour of the pineapple greenhouses to learn all about this fruit, which is very common in the Azores.

Pineapple plantations.

2nd stop > Tea plantations. Then stop off at the Gorreana Tea Plantations: Europe’s only tea plantation. Here, you can wander around the terraced tea plantations, see the production process in the factory and enjoy a free cup of tea. I recommend you accompany your tea with one of their delicious tea cookies. A surprising but delicious treat. I’d definitely go back for more!

Gorreana tea plantations.

day 4: the miracles of geothermal energy

1st stop > Terra nostra parque : to avoid the crowds, get to the tropical gardens early and enjoy the two natural Jacuzzis and the huge natural orange pool of ferruginous water. Remember to bring a black bathing suit to avoid discoloration 🙂

Terra Nostra Parque natural pool.

2nd stop > The calderas. At 11:15 or 12:15, head for Lagoa das furnas to see the caldeiras das furnas. These are ultra-boiling water springs linked to geothermal phenomena. Alongside the gushing waters are earth-covered holes in which the famous cozido das furnas are baked for 8 hours at 60°C. A kind of pot au feu.

3rd stop > Cozido das furnas. Enjoy cozido das furnas at Tonys restaurant. Make sure you book in advance, as the restaurant is a victim of its own success and is often full.

Cozido das Furnas.

Hiking alert: Pico do Ferro PRC22SMI – Grena-Pico do Ferro – 6.2km -3h). This hike begins at the calderas of Lake Furnas. The first part is a fairly steep climb through lush vegetation. At the top of Pico do Ferro, you have a panoramic view of Lake Furnas.

day 5 : Jurassic park

1st stop > Parque caldeira velha. A completely enchanting setting, it’s like being in Jurassic Parc, with lush vegetation. You’ll find several thermal springs. I advise you to go early at opening time or late in the day, to enjoy the different springs at your leisure. Start with the spring with the waterfall, the furthest away and the coolest (24 degrees), and finish with the other 3 hotter springs (around 35 degrees). Please note: with the covid, the number of people in the pools is limited.

The waterfall at Parque Caldeiras velhas.

2nd stop > Lagoa do Fogo. Continue on towards the miradouros of Lagoa do Fogo (Lake of Fire), near the Caldeira Velha park. There are several viewpoints over this lake, including the serra do Barrosa and lagoa do fogo miradouros, which are well worth a stop. However, this lake is often fogged in, so keep an eye on the webcam before you go.

Hiking alert: walk to Lagoa do Fogo (1h walk there and back) and 2km walk around the lake.

Lagoa do Fogo.

In conclusion

We often talk about mainland Portugal, which is overflowing with treasures, and I often mention it in my blog posts, but the Portuguese islands are also very surprising. The islands of the Azores are sure to win you over: they are unique and enchanting.

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