Best Of São Miguel Island

Upon landing at São Miguel Airport, make your own way to the arrivals hall where a representative will meet you. Hop on the shared transfer to the hotel, for check-in. Once you are settled, we suggest starting from the streets to the south, towards the sea, and you will be in the city centre of Ponta Delgada. You will find a magnificent square, with its own statue: Praça Gonçalo Velho Cabral. Behind the statue, a noble monument with three arches marks the beginning of Ponta Delgada as the main city of S. Miguel. Behind these arches named Portas da Cidade, you can walk through the small and narrow streets, where the local traditional commerce takes place (souvenirs stores, coffee shops, restaurants and banks). If you choose to stay in the main avenue, walk to Portas do Mar – the most recent infrastructure that supports the dock and the cruise ship port of the island. Here you will be in a platform above the sea, and you can find many people relaxing by the sea bay, enjoying a cup of coffee, a local beer, or even a cocktail. Overnight in Ponta Delgada.

Early breakfast at the hotel, followed by the first day of adventure in the island, a 4x4 full-day tour. This trip combines two of the most popular places around São Miguel Island: Sete Cidades lakes and Fogo Lake, among other incredible places such as Caldeira Velha and Ponta da Ferraria. You will be collected from the hotel at around 09:00 am, the first stop is at the rim of Sete Cidades’ caldera. You will pass by many interesting viewpoints, where you can enjoy the view over the green and blue lakes. After this stunning visit, it’s time to leave this magical place to Ponta da Ferraria. There, you will be able to go for a dip in the Atlantic Ocean when the tide is low. This place is truly magical because the water will not be cold! Indeed, it is naturally warmed by a volcanic fissure. Later on, you will have lunch is in a local restaurant halfway to Lagoa do Fogo, perfect to taste some Azorean food! (Included). In the afternoon, you will be taken to the amazing natural reserve of Lagoa do Fogo to enjoy mesmerizing landscapes surrounding the crater. Fogo Lake is one of the most popular places around the island and you will certainly understand why when you are there. From the top of the volcano, you will find incredible views over São Miguel Island with both North and South coast visible at the same time. The adventure does not stop here! After that, you will be taken to Caldeira Velha, a warm iron-rich waterfall where it is possible to take a dip year-round thanks to the volcanic activity warming the water up to 26°C (79°F). It is a real spa at open air, surrounded by lush forest, an amazing scenery that looks straight out of a movie. After this relaxing moment, you will head back to Ponta Delgada by the late afternoon. Overnight in Ponta Delgada.

Charge your batteries with breakfast at the hotel and prepare yourself for another full-day adventure: mountain bike ride and Terra Nostra visit. You will be collected from the hotel at around 09:00 am. This mystical excursion, made in a minivan, is taking you to the eastern part of the island, known for its healing waters as well as boiling ones (geysers), showing us the volcanic activity is truly alive in this area. Here, meals are cooked under the ground with no more than its heat and steam. Corncobs are cooked in the boiling waters, and the best flatbread is made here. A crater with 75 kilometres is expected to be seen and a lake inside it can easily be walked around it. The pool tanks are thermal and hot warm, and the most beautiful and richest park of species (flora) can be found inside this small, attractive and welcoming village. This is Furnas. The activity starts with a bike tour, developed in a circular route (10.5 kilometres) which starts in Furnas village and follows to calderas area by Lagoa das Furnas, continuing through the dirt road surrounding the lake. The highest point of this tour is located in the area of Pico dos Milhos, where you can admire the village. Secondary paths leading back to the point of beginning make the descent and the end of the bike ride. After lunch in a restaurant in Furnas village (included), it is time to visit Terra Nostra Park. This is one of the most beautiful botanical gardens of the 18th century, where one can find species of flora from different regions of the world. You will be guided in a brief tour by the garden paths passing by the outdoor pool, which invites for a relaxing thermal bath. After this delightful moment, it is time to return to Ponta Delgada by the North Coast of the island and with a different perspective of the island of São Miguel. Overnight in Ponta Delgada.