My trip to the São Miguel island: Plan for 5 days, advice and impressions

The Azores has something absolutely magical about it. As soon as you step off the plane you can feel the difference – the fresh, crisp air envelops you and gives you the first preview of what awaits you. São Miguel, the largest of the islands, greeted me with tranquility, luscious greenery and amazing landscapes. My trip was the perfect combination of relaxation, discovering new places and being close to nature.

Are you planning a trip to the Azores? Or are you just looking for inspiration? In this post, I’ll tell you what my 5-day stay in São Miguel was like – day by day – and share practical tips to help you plan your own adventure.

São Miguel is the largest island in the Azores. It is primarily known for its beautiful views, greenery and rich flora and fauna. Thanks to the presence of volcanoes, the terrain here is quite different from what you will encounter in mainland Portugal. There is no shortage of attractions either, and even a week is not enough to see everything and every corner of the island.

I have previously been to the island of Terceira, which is also an interesting place. This time I was looking for a slightly larger island, so that I could fill my week-long stay with various activities. I mainly wanted proximity to nature, greenery and the availability of trekking trails, as I love hiking.

When I travel to places like São Miguel I like to get up early, have a quick breakfast and go hiking. Mostly I spend the day actively until the evening. I eat a light lunch. In the afternoon I relax at the lodge, so that in the evening I can find a good restaurant and have a hearty meal. My travel style is a mix of active spending and relaxation. If this is something you enjoy, read on. Let me tell you how to spend a week on São Miguel Island. This article is a mix of my memories and advice. I hope you will find it useful.

Arrival and my first impressions

Our flight was delayed more than 2 hours. So we arrived at São Miguel quite late. Even before the flight, I called the car rental company to make sure that the car I had booked would be waiting for us.

On São Miguel, as on other islands, there are a limited number of rental companies and cars. It may happen that with delays, your car will be given to someone else. Therefore, I immediately contacted the number listed on the confirmation I received from Discover Cars, where I booked our car.

After landing, a rental company employee picked us up from the airport and took us to the office. There we took care of the paperwork pretty quickly, got into our Fiat Panda and headed ahead. As soon as we left on the main road, we could admire the green hills and cows grazing on them, for which the Azores are famous. The highway was a two-lane road and an expressway, but that didn’t stop us from marveling at what stretched before us. The first 15 minutes and I was already in love with the island.

Our accommodation was far to the east, where there was not a single store, supermarket or bar in the area. So we strayed a bit inland and found a fast food bar somewhere in a field. One table was occupied inside, where a family of three was just finishing a lavish dinner. When we walked in all three stopped eating and watched us closely. The attendant stopped and looked at us with surprise when we took a table. The menu showed only hamburgers and bifana in two versions – grande and normal. So I ordered the latter. Pyś took the hamburger. We both hoped the food would be edible. My bifana was the biggest bifana I’ve ever eaten in my life! Normally, it is a bun with meat made in a special sauce. Its size depends on the execution, but here it was huge. Inside, in addition to the meat, there was lettuce and some more vegetable toppings. It may not have been the best, but it certainly killed hunger quickly.

When we arrived at the accommodation, it was already after 10 p.m. The house where we had a room stood on a small hill and was covered in darkness. There seemed to be no one inside. I rang the bell at the door once, a second, a third, a fourth. A nearby dog started barking, and a neighbor came out of the house next door. I asked if he didn’t know where the owners were, and the man, saying little, ran to a small house standing a few meters away. The neighbor knocked, exchanged a few sentences with the old lady who came out of it, and returned to his place.

Ms. Sandra greeted us warmly and began a monologue that went on for a very long time. She spoke as she walked with us to open the door to the house, as she showed us the interior and our accommodations. She interrupted the stream of words only for my questions. Everything, of course, was in Portuguese, with an accent that was more like French than Portuguese. I don’t know if she even noticed that I was unable to understand many things.

I booked my accommodation, as well as the car, quite late. There was nothing reasonably priced on the island by then. With some hesitation, I booked this guesthouse. Ms. Sandra was very nice, but as it turned out, what she offered, however, was a bit out of line with either the description on booking.com or my and Pysia’s requirements. We knew that the room would be for a shared bathroom, and that was acceptable to us. On the other hand, it turned out on the spot that not only did we not have a shower, but also the toilet was broken. So we had to settle down to the bidet, and for “more” and to use the shower, we had to walk upstairs, where there was one bathroom for 5 other rooms. Our room stank of moisture and only opening the window at all times saved us from suffocation. Ms. Sandra, unfortunately, did not understand why we were unhappy with the whole situation and only shrugged her shoulders at the complaint of sharing a bathroom.

Fortunately, our itinerary for visiting São Miguel was quite intense, so we knew we didn’t have to spend all our time there.

Day 1 – Hot springs and view points

On the first day we broke up quite early. In the morning we had booked the hot springs at Caldeira Velha. I made the reservation well in advance via the Internet and it worked out well, because the queue to get in was very long and many people were turned away with a receipt.

Caldeira Velha is a natural hot springs located in a beautiful park with lush green vegetation. There are a couple of springs on 3 levels. The ones at the lowest are the warmest. Those higher up are slightly cooler. On the highest level is a waterfall with a pool. It is a beautiful backdrop for photos, but the water is very cold. We just happened to be in cool, rainy weather, which was perfect for swimming in the warm water and definitely not in the waterfall.

We splashed out in the hot springs for all time. We spent more than 2 hours in just one pool. Due to the rain and cold, we found it extremely pleasant there.

From the hot springs we drove to Ribeira Grande, which is one of the larger towns on the north coast. There we found a quick place to eat. Pecado Açoriano is a small bar in the local market. Mostly Portuguese people come here on their lunch break. I recommend eating beef fried on a stone (picanha da pedra). You get the meat and a heated stone on which you grill the beef yourself. It is seasoned only with coarse salt.

Ribeira Grande also offers beautiful views of the grade and cliffs. You can drive to one end of the boardwalk, stop there and walk further. I recommend Miraduro do Castelo and Miraduro da Palheiro. If you feel like walking, head toward Miraduro do Cintrão. We just didn’t have much desire to walk and went there by car. The road ends at some point and you have to drive through fields and sodden terrain. Our Fiat Panda managed perfectly.

I remember this view point best. It’s a place that is away from roads and people. The dog flew the drone, and I sat and admired the views. I also gloated over the silence. Then it occurred to me that in the modern world, even if there is silence, you can still hear the sounds of civilization somewhere in the distance. Then, on Miraduro do Cintrão I heard only waves and birds. That moment was magical, it touched my sensibility deeply. I have known for a long time that I badly need to be close to nature, even a small piece of it. There then, on the cliff, I felt totally happy.

The Ribeira Grande area is also home to a traditional rum factory, Mulher do Capote. Rum has been produced here since 1926. This small family business is the only one in the Azores that grows sugar cane. Many things are done here by hand. They produce rum not only in normal flavors, but also in flavors such as pineapple and licorice.

From Ribeira Grande we went to the nearby lake Lagoa de Fogo. It is located in the middle of the island. It is a lake formed in the crater of a volcano. It can be admired from above and the road leading to it is really beautiful, with some nice viewpoints. There are also trekking trails around the lake. The weather here can be changeable and it is quite cold, even on warm days. I think it’s worth going in the afternoon for the views alone. In the morning, the lake is covered by a thick fog.

We ended our day with a visit to the famous Rabo de Peixe. This is the town that became famous for the series on Netflix of the same name. It is the story of locals who accidentally find a large shipment of cocaine. The series is highly recommended. Visit to the town – maybe not quite. Rabo de Peixe looks nice from the very top. There is a nice view from the cliffs. The center is also neat and looks pleasant on a sunny day. It’s only when you go down the street that it gets less pleasant. At the very promenade there are dealers and types from under the dark star. No one accosted us there, but we felt very uncomfortable. We stopped only a moment by the water and quickly turned back.

Day 2 – Whales

For our next day, I had a whale-watching cruise scheduled. The cruise is from the town of Vila Franca do Campo, which I also recommend visiting. The town is wonderful. We just happened to have nice weather, so we walked around for two hours, took pictures and stopped for coffee.

We had a cruise purchased with Terra Azul and it turned out to be a hit! You can see that the people working there are passionate and people who really care about educating their clients. Before we got on the boat, we had a presentation about how important the oceans are. We were introduced to the different species of fish, dolphins and whales that live in the nearby waters. The entire organization of the tour was very professional, fast and efficient.

However, nothing prepared us for the real show. We managed to see not only dolphins, but also sperm whales. They live off the Azorean islands, but spotting them is truly a stroke of luck. We drifted for almost an hour and admired the mating spectacle of the sperm whales.

I booked the tour on GetYourGuide. It cost me about 70 euros per person.

During the cruise, we also approached the island of Vila Franca do Campo. It is a beautiful island with a special shape, with a “hole” in the middle. There are ferries to the island from 15.06. We went around the island and could also enjoy the view.

The tour ended around 3 p.m. I’ll admit that this is not the best time. We were very hungry, and this is the hour when restaurants are on break until 6 p.m. So we had to settle for candy bars. We killed time by driving around the neighborhood. We drove to a nearby church and viewpoint – Miraduro da Nossa Senhora da Paz, and then to a local beach.

It wasn’t until 6pm that we got a table at the Black Whale restaurant, which I can wholeheartedly recommend to you. The lules – squid, and octopus grilled on a special ceramic plate – are excellent.

Day 3 – Furnas and pineapples

What else to do on São Miguel? A must-see is Caldeira das Furnas. This is a unique place on the island’s map.

Caldeiras Furnas is one of the most impressive geothermal sites in the Azores, a direct result of the region’s intense volcanic activity. This natural spectacle consists of fumaroles, hot springs and thermal springs, all surrounded by a unique geological landscape.

Dormant since 1630, Furnas volcano gave rise to these volcanic calderas, formed when the top of the cone collapsed, now filled with rainwater.

When this water infiltrates the ground, it reaches very high temperatures near the magma. This phenomenon creates fumaroles, thermal springs and hot water springs.

(Source – Pico de Aventura)

Getting to the springs themselves was a bit difficult, and we accidentally drove into Lake Furnas, which I also recommend visiting. The surrounding park, along with the old church, look great. It is a nice area for walking and trekking. The information center is also really worth a look. The small museum inside has a lot of interesting information, and the people working there are extremely enthusiastic about their work and will really help you understand the history and geothermal phenomena on São Miguel.

Thanks to the guide at this center, we got information on where to go to see the famous caldeiras. The springs are located in the town, in a specially created park. Hot water bubbles up in them. You can smell sulfur in the air. Next to some of them are springs with cold water from which you can drink. They are said to cure various ailments. Locals mix the water with herbs or honey and create remedies for colds, rheumatism and other conditions.

We had lunch at the Vale das Furnas restaurant. At the very beginning it did not convince us. It didn’t look like anything special. The prices on the menu were quite high for local dishes, but when the food arrived at our table, we found that it was really worth paying a little more. If you like liver, I highly recommend eating it right there. The dish was delicious.

After lunch we went to 2 more pineapple plantations, located by the city of Ponta Delgada. Pineapples came to Portugal from Venezuela. However, they began to be grown in the Azores in the 19th century, when disease and bacteria destroyed the orange plantations. At first, the fruit was a decorative element. Only later was their flavor appreciated. Today there are a couple of plantations on São Miguel that can be visited. The tour doesn’t take long and is free. After the tour, sweet snacks and drinks are available in the store. Of the two plantations I visited, I recommend Plantação Ananases A Arruda. It may not be the prettiest, but it had the nicest staff and the largest selection of products to try.

Day 4 – A deadly trekking

We absolutely wanted to do some trekking during our stay. We both like hiking and don’t do it very often because the weather in southern Portugal is too hot for us. Therefore, we were very excited about the possibility of trekking on São Miguel.

We decided to spend this day at Sete Cidades and the beautiful lake there. I chose the trekking from the WikiLoc app. We started by climbing through the forest to the mountain and the Vista do Rei viewpoint and the abandoned hotel that stands at the very top. It was a relatively easy and pleasant hike. The views from the top were amazing!

Going down was not a problem until a certain point, when you had to go down to the lakeshore. This part led through a road for performance bicycles and was extremely steep. A sizable chunk went down simply on my butt.

At the lake we stood for a rest and a picnic. We thought this was the end of the difficult trail, but it turned out that we were in for a couple of kilometers of near-performance trekking by the lakeshore. When we finally reached the end, we were totally exhausted, but very proud of ourselves. We had completed a full day of trekking, more than 12 kilometers, and it was a really intense physical effort.

We had dinner at O Pescador in Rabo de Peixe. The restaurant is located on the outskirts of town, so you don’t have to go to the center itself. Mostly you should have a reservation, as it is a popular place. I, however, have a method of showing up as soon as it opens and then usually get a table right away. Here I recommend lapas – seafood that you can only eat in the Azores, and one of the fish that you can get cooked, grilled or fried. One fish is enough for 2 people, especially if you order appetizers.

Day 5 – Rain and some tea

Our last day, unfortunately, was not so successful. First of all, the weather broke. It had been raining since the morning and was very overcast. We had a quick breakfast at a roadside bar and drove to a tea plantation – Cha Gorreana. It is one of two operating plantations on the island. The tour is free. You can also taste the tea for free, or buy a cup of hot beverage, and snacks in the store. The plantation has beautiful fields, perfect for photos, including during rainy weather.

That day we also managed to visit the nearby town of Maia. It has nice viewpoints. There are also two interesting museums there – a tobacco museum and a milk museum, but it was a holiday that day and both places were closed.

When the rain caught up with us, we headed south, where the weather was a bit better. We stopped in Ponta Delgada for lunch at Cais da Sardinha. Here I can recommend the grilled octopus. The restaurant is pleasant and has a nice view of the harbor.

That day, unfortunately, I was not feeling well, so we went to our guesthouse to rest. It wasn’t until the evening that we went for another meal at Restaurante Associação Agrícola. This is one of the many famous places on the island. The food is insane. Everything they serve is local. I recommend the steaks, and the local cheese dessert.

We ended our stay on São Miguel with a glass of red wine from the Azores. Five days was enough for us to see what is worth seeing on São Miguel and to enjoy the beauty of the island. I for one will definitely be back to do some more trekking!

Information and advice

You can fly to the island from Lisbon. Flights are almost daily and, depending on the date, are not expensive. Check on Skyscanner for prices and dates.

The best time to visit São Miguel is definitely summer and early autumn. The weather is always unstable in the Azores, but during the months of June through October there seems to be less risk of rain.

São Miguel is a large island and I highly recommend renting a car. I procrastinated with booking until the last minute and was really lucky to find something at a good price. I booked the car through Discover Cars and paid only 140 euros for the whole stay.

The roads on São Miguel are very good and have no tolls. The driving is pleasant.

There are buses on the island. They will get you to all the tourist places.

We stayed in the village of Achada. It is in the east of the island. The east is less developed. There was not a single store, supermarket or even restaurant in our area. The upside of this was the lack of other tourists. On one of the evenings we went to a nearby vantage point to watch the sunset, and we were the only ones who got the idea.

If you prefer to have access to amenities, I recommend staying in Ribeira Grande, Furnas, or Ponta Delgada, for example. I won’t recommend my guesthouse, as it was a big let down, but I can recommend other places I looked at before my trip.

Ponta Delgada:

• The Homeboat Company Azores
• Casa das Palmeiras
• Sao Miguel Park Hotel

The South:

• Caloura Hotel Resort
• H2O
• Apartamento Francisco Martins

The North:

Casa do Senor Paulo

In the Azores and São Miguel you should try seafood and fish. Lapas are seafood that are fished just off the coast of the islands. They are prepared with garlic, oil and lemon. Of the fish, a good choice would be tuna, which is of high quality here. São Miguel is also famous for its delicious beef. There are no large slaughterhouses here. Cows graze in the fields, which makes the meat really extremely good. Also try the local cheeses. Queijo da Ilha is the general name for local cheeses from the Azores – you’ll find different variants, often semi-hard, creamy or slightly sharp. Served with bread, honey, or fig or papaya jam.

The Azores also has its wines. Vinho do Pico (white) is the most famous Azorean wine, often made from Arinto dos Açores, Verdelho, Terrantez do Pico varieties.

Taste: fresh, mineral, slightly salty – ideal with fish and seafood. The vineyards on Pico are listed by UNESCO!

If you’re going to São Miguel, in addition to the standard stuff, don’t forget to pack:

• A backpack or bag – I recommend bringing something rainproof. Check out this backpack from Tropicfeel. Tropicfeel have great products for trips like this!
• Rain jacket – I recommend this one from Regatta, which is lightweight and easy to pack.
• Trekking shoes. I took with me shoes from Tropicfeel, which worked well for me, but they are not good for longer treks or treks where the terrain is wet. Try these shoes from Tropicfeel, which are really my favorite.
• Shorts if you’re going in warmer weather. I highly recommend BAM and their bamboo fiber products.
• SPF – La Roche Posey.
• Mosquito spray. There aren’t many of them in the Azores, but for example, one evening we had a window open and a couple of mosquitoes got into the room and bit us pretty good. In Poland I always buy OFF and I think it will work well here too.

Staying on São Miguel was really special for me. Being so close to nature, seeing whales in their natural habitat for the first time, or trekking with unearthly views made me feel relaxed, full of energy and got me eager for other adventures in the Azores.

I highly recommend visiting São Miguel, especially if you’re looking for places where it won’t be so hot, want to be active and try good food. It is a super idea for a vacation in nature.