Spending 5 days in São Miguel island, the Azores, Portugal

Have you heard about the Azores? Maybe, you haven’t, but I will tell you about them. They are 9 volcanic islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The archipelago consists of the main island of São Miguel and the rest of the islands, which are Santa Maria, Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico and Faial, Flores and Corvo being the smallest island of them all.

The Azores are considered to be one of the most beautiful islands and the best place for relaxation and tranquillity. These islands are so peaceful and beautiful that it will be hard for you to forget this trip. I can assure you that till this very day I still can’t forget the beautiful vistas and places I visited there.

How to get there?

The best way to get to the Azores is by plane. There are lots of direct flights from the United Kingdom, Germany, Portugal, and the Netherlands. The airline companies that operate in the Azores are Ryanair, TAP Air Portugal, SATA Air, and TUI Airlines.

What is the best time to go to the Azores?

The weather in the Azores is unpredictable and sometimes you can experience four seasons in a single day for sure. Although, I would suggest that the best time to go there is from June till the middle of October. Then, you can for sure get more sunny days to enjoy.

Transport in the Azores

I would advise you not to rely on public transport here. It will be better if you go on a group trip or rent a car. I managed to rent a car from a local car rental company near Ponta Delgada, in the village of Arrifes. I did that because they offered me a pretty good price for those days and even made a discount. Also, the deposit was around 200 euros and compared to the well-known car rental companies, it was nothing.

By renting the car, which was also brand new, we managed to visit a lot of things in 5 days and I cannot imagine doing that with public transportation. So if you have a driving license, it’s better to get a car there.

Food and drinks in the Azores

You will for sure be surprised by the food in the Azores. It has a lot of diversity and there is not a single thing that you won’t like. For sure, even here you will find Pastel de Nata, the famous Portuguese pastry. However, I will advise you to try the passionfruit jams offered in the stores, as they are absolutely delish! You can get some Bolos Lêvedos, which are traditional bread-like pancakes and put some of the jam on them or just eat them like that. They are good both ways.

Do not miss out on the cheese here. The Azores is producing some fine cheese and it’s no wonder since cows stroll the island freely and eat out the finest grass here. My favourite cheese in the Azores is the O Morro, which is a soft and easily melted cheese. You can find it in almost any store in the Azores and if you want to see how they make it go to the Faial island where their factory is situated.

Soups in the Azores are a must! You can get a bowl of soup in every restaurant on the island, even though they may vary in taste, but are still very delicious.

To be honest, I loved the fish here. I am not sure if they are using a special recipe or doing some magic in the kitchen, but the fish is finger-licking good. Whether it’s grilled, fried or cooked in the oven, it is the best fish you will ever get. Also, try grilled baby squids and mussels, called Lapas. Yummy!

The beef in the Azores also has its taste and you can get a really fine beef steak at Restaurante da Associação Agrícola de São Miguel. This restaurant belongs to the association of farmers on the island and it is known from the locals as the only place you can get a top-notch beef steak for 10 to 15 euros.

And don’t forget to try out the fruits on São Miguel island. Especially, their famous pineapple, which is the tastiest pineapple I have ever got. I got so hyped that I even went to the Pineapples A Arruda, which is the plantation where the pineapple is grown. There you will also learn the special process of “smoking” that makes all the plants to start blooming altogether. This process is done for around 20 months until the pineapple is ready and is the reason for the special taste and quality of the fruits.

Last but not least, the drinks options in the Azores are not that many. I tried both of the beers that are offered everywhere in Portugal - Sagres and Super Bock. So, if you are a beer lover you will struggle a lot here because in most of the cases they offer only those two brands. However, if you want to try something traditional I will suggest you try Kima. It's a fuzzy drink made with passionfruit and in the hot days, there is an absolute saver.

Things to do in São Miguel

Ponta Delgada

Ponta Delgada is the economic capital of the Azores islands and is the largest municipality of them all. I have spent almost every day in Ponta Delgada, as I have rented an apartment there near the airport. So I was able to explore a lot within it while taking a break after a day of hiking or just walking around the city in the morning searching for fresh Pasteis de Nata.

Some of the highlights of the city I saw the Portas da Cidade or the City Gates, which were built in the 18th century and used as the gates of Ponta Delgada. It is funny, but many of the locals are calling them the gates to the Azores and I couldn’t agree more.

There are two nice churches that you can stop by just to admire their interesting architectural style that is typical for the Azores. One of them is Igreja de São Sebastião and Igreja de São José. Both of them are set exactly in the city center, so it is not hard to reach them.

I also checked the old Forte de São Brás in Ponta Delgada, which was used to guard the city against pirates since the 15thcentury. Today, it is housing the Military History Museum and you can visit it every day and the entrance fee is 3 euros. It has a good weapon collection and you can also get to the ramparts and defence positions and observe the beauty of the ocean from there.

Last but not least, I enjoyed walking down on Avenida Infante Dom Henrique either at sunset or in the mornings. It’s a nice place to relax and get a nice Azorean hotdog!

Visit the village of Sete Cidades

The village of Sete Cidades is in the west part of the island and at first, my main reason for visiting it was to see the famous lakes of the Azores. Thus, I started hiking around the lakes and then went for lunch in a local restaurant Lagoa Azul where they offered traditional food, which was beyond delicious. It was very cheap and cost me around 6 euros.

After lunch, I went to the Boca do Inferno viewpoint, which made my jaw drop for real! In front of myself, I had the lakes below and the ocean in front of me. A truly mesmerizing vista.

After a while, I went further to the Lagoa de Santiago, which is a greenish lake on the way to the Sete Cidades lakes. It’s a nice stop if you are hiking and a good place to rest. Then, I decided to explore around and went to the Lagoa do Canário, also called the “Snapchat” lake, as it looks like its logo if you look at it from above or on the map. It was a nice place for a rest on my hammock for a bit.

Finally, at the end of the day, I went to Miradouro da Vista do Rei from where I enjoyed the beautiful sunset.

Lagoa do Fogo

On the next day, I visited the Fire lake in São Miguel. It was early in the morning and there were barely any crowds. That’s why I hiked to the point of Pico da Barrosa from where I enjoyed a breathtaking view of the whole lake and other parts of the island.

Then, I went to Miradouro sobre a Lagoa do Fogo from where I started the hike down to the beach of the lake to enjoy some sun rays and lay on the beach. I have to say that down there, it was very peaceful and you could only hear the birds chirping, which made my experience truly unforgettable.

After that, the next thing on my list was the Lagoa do Congro, which I consider to be one of the greenest places in the world. The lake is perfectly hidden by lush green forests all around and you have to walk down to it for about 20 minutes. However, I would advise you to wear proper shoes, because it might be slippery there.

At the end of the day, I went to Villa Franca do Campo’s church on the top. From there I could observe the vast ocean and the Islet of the Villa Franca do Campo, where a lot of tourists go snorkelling and dive. It was a nice way to finish the travelling for the day.

City of Furnas

On that same day, after visiting the Fire lake, I went to the city of Furnas. My first stop there was the Miradouro do Pico do Ferro from where I enjoyed a nice view over the Furnas lake.

After that, I went to the city, which had a lot of hot geysers splashing almost everywhere, thermal pools and lots of hot springs. I strolled for a while around the city enjoying its beautiful flower gardens, but I have to say that the smell of sulphur is almost everywhere and sometimes it is too much.

Thus, I went to one of the famous restaurants to try the traditional dish cozido. It’s made of meat and vegetables, which are put in a pot near the geysers to cook. That also gives the dish a slight scent of sulfur, which you might not like.

However, in the end, I finished my visit by eating sweet baby corn boiled on a geyser, which I bought from an old lady in the center of the city for 1 euro. If I have to be honest, it was the sweetest boiled corn I ever ate!

Waterfalls of the South

On my third day, I enjoyed a trip to the waterfalls of the south part of the island. First, I visited the hot waterfall of Ribeira Quente, which was set between two tunnels on the way to the city. It was quite an adventure to get to the waterfall, as you have to be very careful when crossing the street to get to the waterfall’s trail. However, it was all worth it, as this waterfall and the path to it was truly magnificent.

Next, I hiked to Salto do Prego waterfall, which was a hard trail to hike on. It was muddy and I was not with my hiking boots, but eventually, I arrived at the waterfall. It was not as big and magnificent at the hot waterfall, but the lush vegetation surrounding it made it look truly magical.

Viewpoints of the north

On the following day, I decided to just enjoy some beautiful views on the north side of the island. Thus, I started with the viewpoints around Nordeste, a city in the north of São Miguel. My first stop was at the Miradouro da Ponta do Sossego, which has a lovely garden with places to sit and enjoy the view. Then, I went to Miradouro da Vista dos Barcos, from where I saw the oldest lighthouse of the Azores.

Finally, I decided to extend my trip to the tea factory of the islands, as I got to know that the view from there is mesmerizing. When I went to the Gorreana tea factory I first went inside free of charge and tried the nice green and black tea they were offering. I have to say that it was quite different and way more pleasant to drink than the regular teas of that type. Then, I went up to the plantation itself where at first it was foggy and about to rain. However, a couple of minutes later the sky cleared and it was all sunny, so I enjoyed a truly mesmerizing view of both the plantation and the blue ocean.

Thermal pools in the jungle

On my last day, I had a pleasant experience visiting the less known thermal pools of the island in Caldeira Velha. The experience was amazing. For real! I have to say that I felt like I was somewhere far away from home, deeper into a tropical forest. There I saw the biggest ferns and palms ever!

The thermal pools were nice to swim or just relax in and to enter it costs 8 euros for 2 hours. There is a limited time to stay there so that it does not get overcrowded.

Then, I went to a hidden mini pond on the island where I went for a couple of dips in the water, which was cold, but refreshing. The locals know it as Poço Azul or the Blue Well and it is a bit hard to reach it, as it is off the beaten path and not many people visit it. If I have to be honest the way down to the pond is kind of hard and it is even harder to climb it on the way back, but it was totally worth it.

On my way back to the apartment, I stopped by Parque Natural dos Caldeirões, which is a protected area on São Miguel. I went for a walk around the park and its beautiful waterfalls and I saw one of the biggest ferns ever, as well as lots of tropical forest species. It became even better when it started raining creating this true rainforest experience along with the chirping of the birds.

Clothes to bring in the Azores

The Azores is not your perfect beach destination, so speaking from experience I would suggest you get with yourself all of your comfortable clothes and also get a jacket. In addition to that, get trainers or touristic shoes if you have, as it will be better for your feet when it gets dirty and wet. Don't forget to take your swimsuit and also sunscreen, as the sun can be quite harsh there.

Overall, my experience was truly unforgettable! I have to say that the island of São Miguel was truly mesmerizing with all it offers. I will for sure go back one day, just to get that amazing feeling again!

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