São Miguel West Highlights: Sete Cidades, Lagoa do Fogo & Lunch
Description
Discover the best of western São Miguel on a small-group tour that combines volcanic landscapes, crater lakes, dramatic coastlines, and breathtaking viewpoints. Visit the island's most iconic attractions, including Sete Cidades and Lagoa do Fogo, while also exploring lesser-known viewpoints and scenic coastal areas that many visitors miss. Enjoy a traditional Azorean lunch included in the tour, travel in the comfort of a modern 100% electric van, and benefit from the personal attention of a local guide in a group limited to just 8 guests. With a relaxed pace, stunning scenery, and a carefully designed itinerary, this tour offers one of the most complete ways to experience the highlights of western São Miguel in a single day. Unlike larger bus tours, you'll enjoy more time at each stop, a quieter and more comfortable journey, and the flexibility that comes with a genuinely small-group experience.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Stop at Pico do Carvão, a volcanic viewpoint offering wide panoramic views over São Miguel’s central area. From here, it’s possible to see both the north and south coasts of the island, as well as surrounding volcanic formations.
Visit Lagoa do Canário, a small and peaceful crater lake surrounded by dense vegetation. This lesser-known lake is a great example of São Miguel’s volcanic origin and natural beauty.
Walk to the Boca do Inferno viewpoint, one of the most impressive panoramic viewpoints in the Azores. From here, enjoy sweeping views over the Sete Cidades crater and its famous twin lakes.
Stop at Vista do Rei viewpoint, known for its iconic view over the blue and green lakes of Sete Cidades. This is one of the most photographed locations on the island.
Enjoy different perspectives over Sete Cidades volcano caldera, one of the most stunning locations in the Azores and Portugal.
Stop at Miradouro do Escalvado to admire dramatic coastal cliffs and open views over the Atlantic Ocean, showcasing the rugged beauty of São Miguel’s west coast.
Visit Mosteiros, known for its impressive lava rock pools and volcanic formations. Enjoy a short walk along the coastline while taking in views of the Atlantic Ocean.
Stop at Miradouro das Pedras Negras, a lesser-known viewpoint offering beautiful ocean views and insight into the island’s volcanic coastline.
Visit the center of Ribeira Grande, the second main town of the island and one of the most picturesque and beautiful towns in the Azores!
Disvoer this little-known but gorgeous coastal view, the most beautiful cliffs of São Miguel Island
End the tour at Lagoa do Fogo, one of São Miguel’s most iconic crater lakes, located in the island’s central highlands. Surrounded by protected natural landscape, it is considered one of the island’s highlights.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick-up is available from main hotels and designated meeting points in Ponta Delgada. If you are staying outside Ponta Delgada, a transfer from your accommodation to our office can be arranged for an additional cost. Please be ready at the front entrance by 9:00 am. Pick-ups may take up to 20 minutes to complete, depending on the number of guests and locations.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- This tour includes a moderate walk of approximately 20 minutes each way to reach the Boca do Inferno viewpoint. It may not be suitable for guests with limited mobility.
Reviews(1,738)
We had an amazing tour of the west side of the island with our tour guide Manuel. We were lucky with a really clear view of both sete cicades and logoa do fogo. Manuel told us all the historical insights of the island, and was a pleasant and calming guide. Would recommend anyone to go in this tour!
The weather on this July day for our Sao Miguel West tour was less than ideal, but Catia was able to adjust the order of the itinerary so we can still see all the must do sights. Catia is also very knowledgeable and entertaining. We truly appreciate her caring and attentiveness to us 2 seniors with negotiating the rain soaked slippery muddy track to the Boca do Inferno viewpoint. We did the Sao Miguel East with Pure Azores as well and we highly recommend both. They are amongst the best tours we had in our travels to 93 countries.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that, despite the weather, Cátia was able to adapt the itinerary so you could still enjoy all the highlights of the West Tour. Your kind words about her care, knowledge, and attentiveness mean a great deal to us. We're especially honoured that you consider our East and West Tours among the best you've experienced in your travels. Thank you for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back to São Miguel one day!
This tour was absolutely fantastic. We saw so many beautiful sights and got out of the car super often. Our guide Manuel was very knowledgeable and clearly had great love for this island. Couldn't recommend enough! Also a bonus that they keep the groups small so things are not too hectic and you have space to ask the guide a lot of questions if you want.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear you had such a fantastic day exploring São Miguel with Manuel. It’s great to know you enjoyed the frequent stops, the beautiful scenery, and the small-group experience that allowed for a more personal tour. Thank you for your recommendation, we truly appreciate it!
We had a wonderful full-day tour with Pure Azores, and our guide, Márcio Amaral, made it truly memorable. He was incredibly knowledgeable about São Miguel’s history, geology, nature, and local culture, and he shared everything with genuine enthusiasm, humour and warmth. The itinerary was well organized, the scenery was breathtaking, and the small-group experience made the day even more enjoyable. We never felt rushed and had plenty of time to appreciate each stop. Thank you, Márcio, for such a fantastic experience😊.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear you had such a memorable day with Márcio. It’s fantastic that his knowledge, enthusiasm, and sense of humour helped make the experience so special, and that you enjoyed the relaxed pace and beautiful scenery. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with him. Thank you for choosing Pure Azores!
João was an awesome guide. Everything was taken care of and he answered every question. He was knowledgeable and funny. I recommend this tour company and guide! Only 8 people max per tour and the busses for this company are all electric which was a pleasant surprise.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear you had such a great experience with João. It’s fantastic that you enjoyed his knowledge, sense of humour, and the small-group experience. We’re also pleased you appreciated our fully electric fleet, providing a comfortable and more sustainable way to explore São Miguel is something we're very proud of. Thank you for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back again soon!
Great experience, our guide Carla was knowledgeable and helped us understand the island of Sao Miguel well. The full-day activity was well-filled and we got our money's worth, meals included! We highly recommend it.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear you had such a great experience with our guide and that her knowledge helped you better understand São Miguel. It’s fantastic to know you enjoyed the full-day tour and the included traditional lunch. Thank you for your recommendation, we truly appreciate it and hope to welcome you back to the Azores again soon!
Max, our Tour Guide, had such a passion for the island and its history and geography that it made the tour nothing but positive and pleasant. The trip was perfect.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear you had a perfect trip with Max. Thank you for your kind words, we hope to welcome you back to the Azores again soon!
Max is a great tour guide! Hes’s very knowledge and knows his stuff! He did a great job on our tour. It was amazing experience, and I certainly recommend it.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear you had such an amazing experience with Márcio. It’s fantastic that his knowledge and passion helped make your tour so enjoyable. Thank you for your recommendation, we truly appreciate it and hope to welcome you back to the Azores again soon!
Experience first-hand the natural beauty, the variability of the weather, the blooming days of the season, and the professional sharing of guides.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that, despite the weather, the tour became such a memorable experience. It’s great to know you enjoyed walking through the Japanese cedar forest, admired the beautiful hydrangeas in bloom, and were amazed by São Miguel’s dramatic cliffs. We’re also very happy that the guide's professionalism and friendly personality made the day even more enjoyable. Thank you for your kind words, and we hope to welcome you back again!
We did this tour in addition to the East island tour and we would absolutely recommend both. We were so fortunate as the conditions were favourable and we got fantastically clear views of the green and blue lakes. Marcio was brilliant and a lot of fun and he took us to lots of places of interest and we loved the variety of what we saw - the beautiful coastline, extinct volcanoes and lakes as examples. We were only on Ponto Delgada for 3 days and we felt that we got to see all the main sights and Marcio took great care of us. It was nice that lunch was also included. We would absolutely recommend this and the East tour too with Pure Azores. The vehicle was so comfortable and new - an excellent tour.
Thank you for your fantastic review! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed both the West and East tours and that the weather gave you those beautiful clear views of the Green and Blue Lakes. It’s wonderful that Márcio helped make the experience so memorable and that you were able to see so much of São Miguel during your stay. We truly appreciate your recommendation of both tours and of Pure Azores.
