São Miguel Island is the largest island of the Azores archipelago, and the only one I’ve visited so far. I’ve always loved visiting nature destinations, and São Miguel surprised me in the best way. I planned the whole trip in order to create a lot of content in the (short) 3 days I was on the island.
I did a lot of research about São Miguel and, believe me, the hardest thing was having to pick the places to visit in my short 3-day trip from the very long list of nature gems and photo spots I curated. Unfortunately I couldn’t visit all of them, but maybe you can, so I hope this list will help you create beautiful photos in this island that really deserves your visit.
Table of Contents
- 1. Mosteiros Beach
- 2. Ponta da Ferraria
- 3. Ponta do Escalvado Viewpoint
- 4. São Nicolau’s Church
- 5. Sete Cidades Lagoon
- 6. Vista do Rei Viewpoint
- 7. Monte Palace Hotel Ruins
- 8. Boca do Inferno Viewpoint
- 9. Canário Lagoon
- 10. Fogo Lagoon
- 11. Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Paz, Vila Franca do Campo
- 12. Hermitage of Nossa Senhora das Vitórias and Furnas Lagoon
- 13. Terra Nostra Park
- 14. Poça da Dona Beija
- 15. Inverted House
- 16. Pico do Ferro Viewpoint
- 17. Ribeira dos Caldeirões Natural Park
- 18. Ponta do Sossego and Ponta da Madrugada viewpoints
- 19. Gorreana Tea Factory
- 20. Congro Lagoon
1. Mosteiros Beach
Praia dos Mosteiros, or Mosteiros Beach, is a beautiful black sand beach overlooking the Mosteiros islets. Located on the west side of São Miguel island, it is a popular spot for sunset watching.
Photo tip: if you climb the rocks on the right side of the beach you can get beautiful photos with the Atlantic Ocean and the islets in the background! Always be careful with the tides though, keep yourself safe when next to the ocean.
2. Ponta da Ferraria
The natural pools of Ponta da Ferraria are located in Ginetes, also in the west of São Miguel. Here you can swim in sea water heated by volcanic activity, and the view is beautiful. Once again, you have to pay attention to the tides: at high tide the water will be colder and at low tide it can be too hot. I didn’t have time to visit this place, but it’s on my list for a next visit.
3. Ponta do Escalvado Viewpoint
This one was not on my list, I discovered it by chance, but I was fascinated. I will let the pictures speak for themselves, it is too beautiful to skip!
4. São Nicolau's Church
A black and white church (like most of the buildings on the island) in the town of Sete Cidades. Framed by a path of tall trees and – if you go in the right season – hydrangeas, it has the perfect symmetry for a photo!
5. Sete Cidades Lagoon
Still in Sete Cidades, go towards the lake. Right before crossing the bridge, I advise you to stop and enjoy the landscape and, who knows, take a selfie with the ducks that live there.
6. Vista do Rei Viewpoint
The Miradouro da Vista do Rei, or Vista do Rei Viewpoint, is one of the most beautiful viewpoints over the Sete Cidades Lagoon. On sunny days it is possible to easily distinguish the “separation” of the lake in two colors: blue and green. However, it is often foggy in this place, so make sure to check the weather forecast to avoid wasting a trip.
7. Monte Palace Hotel Ruins
Next to the Vista do Rei viewpoint is the famous Monte Palace Hotel, an abandoned hotel much visited in São Miguel for the equally incredible view of the lagoon. It is private property and it can be dangerous to visit since it is full of debris and slippery. It wasn’t my easiest adventure, but it was worth it. Inside the hotel I advise you to visit the rooms on the top floor that face the lagoon, the view from the balcony is amazing! Then go right up to the terrace, here you will also get wonderful pictures.
8. Boca do Inferno Viewpoint
Miradouro da Boca do Inferno is my favorite viewpoint in São Miguel! As you walk there you can see the lush green of the island, the lagoons and the sea, and when you arrive you’ll really feel like you’re on top of the world.
9. Canário Lagoon
On the way to the Boca do Inferno viewpoint you will come across the Canário Lagoon. The way there is super beautiful as well.
10. Fogo Lagoon
The Lagoa do Fogo (Lake of Fire) is the second largest in São Miguel and the one with the highest altitude, so it is the most difficult to see, due to the fog that usually appears. Although the Miradouro Alto da Lagoa do Fogo is the most photographed viewpoint, there are many others along the way up. I advise you to stop at the roadside along the way, because the higher you go, the more likely you are to encounter fog.
11. Sanctuary of Nossa senhora da Paz, vila franca do campo
Another very beautiful church, perfect for symmetrical photos, and it overlooks the beautiful islet of Vila Franca (which I highly recommend visiting in the summer, although I didn’t include it in this list!)
12. Hermitage of Nossa Senhora das Vitórias and Furnas Lagoon
This chapel is located in Mata Jardim José do Canto, a park located in Furnas. I saw beautiful pictures of this place photographed with a drone, but since I don’t have one, this is how I decided to capture the beauty of this place.
From here you can also walk along the Furnas Lake.
13. Terra Nostra Park
I could probably write a whole article just about this place. It’s huge, the thermal pools are incredible and the surrounding nature is surreal. There are so many places to photograph here that the problem will be lack of time. Soon I will tell you about this park in more detail, but here is some inspiration.
14. Poça da Dona Beija
An impressive complex of thermal pools, that unfortunatey I didn’t get to visit this time. Since I was lacking time, I chose to visit only the hot springs of Terra Nostra Park, but fingers crossed that I will return to visit it.
15. Inverted House
A very funny place for a quick stop. It always makes for a very unique photo.
16. Pico do Ferro Viewpoint
To finish the visit to Furnas, this viewpoint is ideal to see the entire lake.
17. Ribeira dos Caldeirões Natural Park
Unfortunately, when I visited the park it was not in good condition. Probably due to heavy rains, several accesses were cut off because of landslides, so we could only visit the waterfall area and the area closest to the car park, which has a water mill and some small houses. Still, I would come back again because I thought the park was beautiful.
18. Ponta do Sossego and Ponta da Madrugada viewpoints
Two places I didn’t have the opportunity to visit, on the eastern side of the island. However, they are on the top of my list for when I return. They are incredibly beautiful and when the hydrangeas start blooming they must be even more stunning.
19. Gorreana Tea Factory
You really can’t miss the experience and the photo opportunities at the only tea plantation in Europe! Besides visiting the factory and tasting the tea, you will love exploring the huge fields of the tea plantation.
20. Congro Lagoon
This lake is a must-see in São Miguel! In this list, it is the one with the most complicated access, but still relatively easy to get there. The green tone that the whole area has makes any photo super magical.
I hope you enjoyed this article The 20 Most Instagrammble Places in São Miguel, and I am looking forward to seeing all the beautiful photos you will create in São Miguel! Use #travelplannerholic to get noticed.
With Love,
Catarina Vieira
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Greetings! Very helpful advice in this particular post! It is the little changes that make the most significant changes. Thanks for sharing!
Good post. I certainly appreciate this website. Continue the good work!
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