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.
Índice
- 1. Praia dos Mosteiros
- 2. Ponta da Ferraria
- 3. Miradouro da Ponta do Escalvado
- 4. Igreja de São Nicolau
- 5. Lagoa das Sete Cidades
- 6. Miradouro da Vista do Rei
- 7. Ruínas do Hotel Monte Palace
- 8. Miradouro da Boca do Inferno
- 9. Lagoa do Canário
- 10. Lagoa do Fogo
- 11. Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Paz, Vila Franca do Campo
- 12. Ermida de Nossa Senhora das Vitórias e Lagoa das Furnas
- 13. Parque Terra Nostra
- 14. Poça da Dona Beija
- 15. Casa Invertida
- 16. Miradouro do Pico do Ferro
- 17. Parque Natural da Ribeira dos Caldeirões
- 18. Miradouros da Ponta do Sossego e da Ponta da Madrugada
- 19. Fábrica de Chá Gorreana
- 20. Lagoa do Congro
1. Praia dos Mosteiros
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
As piscinas naturais da Ponta da Ferraria localizam-se nos Ginetes, também na zona Oeste de São Miguel. Neste local é possível nadar na água do mar aquecida pela atividade vulcânica, e a vista é lindíssima. Mais uma vez, é preciso ter atenção às marés: na maré alta a água estara mais fria e na maré baixa pode estar demasiado quente. Não tive tempo de visitar este local mas ficou na minha lista para uma próxima visita.
3. Miradouro da Ponta do Escalvado
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. Igreja de São Nicolau
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. Lagoa das Sete Cidades
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. Miradouro da Vista do Rei
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. Ruínas do Hotel Monte Palace
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. Miradouro da Boca do Inferno
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. Lagoa do Canário
No mesmo caminho para o miradouro da Boca do Inferno vais cruzar-te com a lagoa do Canário. O caminho até lá é super bonito.
10. Lagoa do Fogo
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. Santuário de 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. Ermida de Nossa Senhora das Vitórias e Lagoa das Furnas
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. Parque Terra Nostra
Provavelmente poderia escrever um artigo inteiro só sobre este local. É enorme, as piscinas termais são incríveis e a natureza envolvente é surreal. Há tantos mas tantos sítios para fotografar aqui que o problema será mesmo a falta de tempo. Em breve falo-vos deste parque com mais detalhe, mas fica aqui alguma inspiração
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. Casa Invertida
A very funny place for a quick stop. It always makes for a very unique photo.
16. Miradouro do Pico do Ferro
Para terminar a visita às Furnas, este miradouro é ideal para ver toda a Lagoa.
17. Parque Natural da Ribeira dos Caldeirões
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. Miradouros da Ponta do Sossego e da Ponta da Madrugada
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. Fábrica de Chá Gorreana
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. Lagoa do Congro
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! Usa #travelplannerholic para partilhares as tuas fotos comigo.
Um beijinho,
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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