Azores: São Miguel in 7 Days, the Atlantic's Green Island

Sete Cidades and the West

Sete Cidades is the image of the Azores: twin lagoons, one green and one blue, inside a 5 km-wide crater.

The Boca do Inferno viewpoint takes a twenty-minute dirt walk and delivers the island's best panorama. Vista do Rei, easier to reach, sits beside the abandoned Monte Palace hotel.

Patience is key: the crater clouds over in minutes. We went up three times in two days until it cleared.

On the west coast, Mosteiros has natural lava pools and the island's best sunset.

Furnas: Geothermal Heat and Volcanic Stew

Furnas is a valley with fumaroles boiling in the middle of the village. It smells of sulphur and the ground steams between the houses.

Cozido das Furnas is cooked buried for six hours in volcanic heat beside the lake. Book it the day before at any restaurant in town.

Terra Nostra Park has a 38 °C iron-rich thermal pool set in a botanical garden from 1780. Wear a dark swimsuit: the iron stains everything.

Furnas also has Europe's only tea plantation, Gorreana, with free tour and tasting.

Whales, Lagoa do Fogo and the East Coast

The Azores are one of the world's best places for cetaceans: a third of known species pass through. We saw sperm whales and bottlenose dolphins on a three-hour trip from Ponta Delgada.

Lagoa do Fogo is the island's wildest lagoon, with no buildings around it. The shore is a 40-minute walk down.

On the north coast, Ribeira dos Caldeirões packs waterfalls and watermills; in the east, Ponta do Sossego is a garden-viewpoint hanging over the ocean.

We finished in Ponta Delgada: Graça market, azulejos and grilled limpets with Pico wine.

Practical Tips and Budget

**Best time:** June to September for the best weather; April-May for hydrangeas and low prices.

**Budget per person (7 days):** - Flights: €120-250 - Car rental + fuel: €180-280 - Accommodation: €300-500 - Activities (whale watching, hot springs, entries): €100-160 - Meals: €180-260 - **Estimated total: €880-1,450**

**Essential tips:** - A car is essential: public transport doesn't reach the viewpoints - Always carry a rain jacket, even in sunshine - Plan viewpoints by cloud forecast, not by map order - Sea temperature is 18-22 °C: a thin wetsuit helps if you swim a lot - Book whale watching for day two or three in case it's rescheduled