Look down on the blue and green lakes of Sete Cidades, follow a levada path up to Lagoa do Fogo or trace a stream to the Salto do Prego waterfall. These hiking tours on São Miguel in the Azores pick you up in Ponta Delgada or at your accommodation, so the trailhead and the ride back are taken care of.
The west belongs to the Sete Cidades volcanic complex, where trails follow crater ridges past Lagoa do Canário and the Grota do Inferno viewpoint before dropping toward the twin lakes. In the centre, the only certified walking route to Lagoa do Fogo climbs from the south coast along a water channel that is often wet and muddy. The east trades crater views for ravines and waterfalls, from the Nordeste coastline to the stream-side loop from Faial da Terra to Salto do Prego and the restored village of Sanguinho.
Choosing between São Miguel hiking tours usually comes down to three things: how long you want to be out, how much steep and muddy ground you are happy with, and whether you want a swim or a hot spring at the end. Most full-day hikes here last seven to eight hours, with lunch included on some tours but not all, while the Sete Cidades sunset walk fits into four.
All six include transport, with pickup in Ponta Delgada and, on the Nordeste day, also Ribeira Grande or Furnas. Several collect you from your accommodation. Prices are per person, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Top pickSão Miguel · Pickup in Ponta Delgada
Fun Activities Azores Adventure
Our pick for a first full day on the island: a moderate walk over the Sete Cidades crater, lunch among the lakes and a drive out to Mosteiros and Ferraria.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
From €65 per person
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Sunset walkSão Miguel · Pickup options: O Roberto or Hotel Marina Atlântico, Ponta Delgada
Lava Trails Azores Hiking Tours
Shorter and gentler than the full-day hikes, timed for evening light on the Sete Cidades ridge, with a wine and cheese tasting at the end.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
From €64 per person
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Lakeside picnicSão Miguel · Hotel pickup from Ponta Delgada
Fun Activities Azores Adventure
The central lake route: an ascent past views of Vila Franca do Campo’s islet, a levada path and a picnic beside Lagoa do Fogo.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
From €65 per person
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Hot springsSão Miguel · Pickup in Ponta Delgada
Flowtours
A waterfall dip, time at Lagoa do Fogo and a warm soak at Caldeira Velha on the way back.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
From €140 per person
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Waterfall swimsSão Miguel · Accommodation pickup in Ponta Delgada, Ribeira Grande or Furnas
Atlantimagia
Several easy to moderate hikes on the island’s northeast coast, linking hidden viewpoints with waterfalls you can cool off in.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
From €120 per person
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Waterfall loopSão Miguel · Pickup in Ponta Delgada
Fun Activities Azores Adventure
Follow a stream through woodland from Faial da Terra to the Salto do Prego waterfall, then return past the restored village of Sanguinho.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
From €85 per person
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If you hike only one day on São Miguel, make it the west. This tour starts among green slopes and rocky ground, climbs to one of the highest points of the Sete Cidades complex for a view across the island and its lakes, then descends through hydrangea-lined paths and cryptomeria forest to Lagoa das Empadadas and the moss-covered ground around Lagoa do Canário. After the Grota do Inferno and Vista do Rei viewpoints and a picnic lunch, a short drive leads to the Escalvado viewpoint over Mosteiros and the lava platform at Ponta da Ferraria.
We recommend it first because it fits the island’s signature crater scenery into one moderate walk, keeps pickup, lunch and trekking poles in the price and carries GetYourGuide’s Top pick badge with a 4.9 rating. It suits reasonably fit walkers who want variety more than a single long climb.
The day mixes walking with two short van transfers, and the guide may change the order of the afternoon around the weather.
Pickup, then a van transfer of about 25 minutes to the Sete Cidades complex.
The walk begins on green and rocky ground and climbs to a high viewpoint over the centre of the island and its lakes.
A descent through cryptomeria forest to the lake, then across a wide carpet of moss toward Lagoa do Canário.
A photo stop at one of São Miguel’s best-known viewpoints.
Views over the blue and green lakes and time for the picnic lunch.
A drive of about 20 minutes to the Escalvado viewpoint above Mosteiros, then the thermal sea pools at Ferraria when the tide allows.
Return and drop-off.
Pasture, cedar forest and deep moss give way to viewpoints over the Sete Cidades lakes, and every descent brings the water a little closer. This is western São Miguel seen at walking pace.
Book NowExpect a moderate hike with climbs, rocky and grassy ground and some longer descents, broken up by viewpoints where the guide shares the stories and legends of Sete Cidades. Groups are small or private.
The finish is what sets this day apart. At Ponta da Ferraria, thermal springs rise into the ocean close to the shore, mixing hot water with seawater in natural pools. High tide can cool the water and low tide can make it very hot, which is why the guide plans the final stop around the tide forecast.
Choose this hike if you want São Miguel’s crater scenery, a proper walk and a swim in one outing. If you would rather keep the effort light, the sunset walk covers part of the same area in four hours.
Operator Fun Activities Azores Adventure
A reasonable level of physical fitness is needed for this moderate hike.
Pregnant travellers and people with mobility impairments or heart problems.
Comfortable shoes, a windbreaker and rain gear, sun protection, a reusable water bottle and a waterproof bag.
Swimwear and a towel for the natural pools at Ferraria.
Guided in English or Portuguese.
Guests single out guides who read the weather, rework the route when needed and add viewpoints that were not on the plan.
“Wonderful tour to some of the most beautiful sites on the island! My guide Ricardo was very knowledgeable and fun, and did an amazing job of catering the tour to the weather and our group since it was so small. Highly recommend this tour and company.”
“Great! Our guide told us a lot, showed us fantastic places, and above all, additional places that were not planned at all. I would do the tour again right away.”
“Great hike and a very professional guide, she planned perfectly for the weather and we got great views, highly recommended.”
Reviews by GetYourGuide customers who booked the tours named.
The Sete Cidades sunset walk is the gentlest option here, rated easy to medium over 4.4 km. The Sete Cidades and Crater Lakes Hike is moderate, while the Lagoa do Fogo route has muddy, slippery sections and a steep descent.
Yes. The marked Vista do Rei to Sete Cidades trail is 7.5 km and rated easy, and the Praia to Lagoa do Fogo trail is 10.2 km and rated medium. Both are linear, so plan how you will get back to your car or your hotel.
Some do. The Fogo Lake hike stops at Caldeira Velha, but thermal bath entry is not included. The Sete Cidades day can finish at the Ferraria sea pools when the tide allows, and the Salto do Prego hike does not include thermal bath tickets in Furnas.
The full-day hikes compared here take seven to eight hours including transport. Lunch inclusions vary by tour. The Sete Cidades sunset walk takes about four hours.
Guides may adjust the order of the day or choose another trail when rain or mud make a route unsafe, and the Nordeste waterfalls hike runs rain or shine. You can also cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before the start.
The Sete Cidades and Crater Lakes Hike runs about eight hours from Ponta Delgada, from €65 per person with lunch, poles and free cancellation.
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