In the middle of the Atlantic lies a fairly unknown treasure: the Azores (Açores) archipelago. It is composed of nine volcanic islands, each with its own topography, traditions and traits. Climbing up the amongst the hilltops of São Miguel island, we were rewarded with a most breathtaking sight.
The extraordinary view here is of the Lagoa das Sete Cidades (lagoon of the seven cities) and in fact consists of a twin lake: one blue, one green. The colors arise from the different way each lake reflects the light. The lagoa forms part of the volcanic crater from the Sete Cidades Massif. You actually have to remind yourself that you’re standing in front of a volcanic crater because the land is so green and lush.
Overlooking the crater from this lookout point 251 m (823 ft) high, you can take in fresh air, smell the gorgeous blue, white and lilac hydrangeas (the flower of the Azores, which dots the islands and adds touches of color amongst the greenery) and even take a hike along the many trails. We had a lovely time walking along deserted trails with only nature and the clean Azorean air to keep us company.
We drove from the lookout point to the bottom, taking the bridge that crosses the two lakes (a cool experience in itself) and had lunch in a esplanada (outdoor eating area) by the water. We were practically the only ones there so it was very peaceful. I even dipped my fingertips in the water to test out the temperature.
Visiting the Lagoa das Sete Cidades was one of the best things we did in São Miguel and an experience we’ll never forget it. Put it on your bucket list!
This looks beautiful! My boyfriend and I have just booked flights for a week in Ponta Delgada next month. Were you there recently? The weather looks great! Let me know if you have any recommendations for Azores – we’re adventurers and would like to see as much as we can! Thank you 😊
Hi Claire! Yes, absolutely. The Azores are so romantic and you’ll have an amazing time. Definitely try the dolphin and whale watching! We were unlucky and went on a day with poor weather so didn’t see all that much but we met some people that actually got out of the boat and managed to swim with the dolphins in the wild! I was so jealous. We really enjoyed the hikes and there are so many, each with their own difficulty and length. Check out this post https://www.aportugueseaffair.com/2015/11/05/hiking-to-a-waterfall-in-sao-miguel-azores/ as an example. We didn’t have time to try the canyoning but it seemed pretty exciting! In Ponta Delgada we treated ourselves to a couple of more “expensive” meals (expensive relative to other restaurants in the area): try Colegio 27 Restaurant and Restaurante São Pedro. Any other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask again!