This guide is for you if you have a day, or two, on São Miguel and want to see the island from one end to the other: the twin lakes of Sete Cidades, the crater of Lagoa do Fogo, the steam and stew pots of Furnas, and the tea fields above the north coast. It helps you settle what to decide before you book: the month, the summer road rules at Lagoa do Fogo, what to pack for a warm iron-water pool, and whether to split the island over two days.
When to go, and what the weather does to the day
The crater lakes are the reason most people come, and cloud is what hides them. On São Miguel a crater can sit in cloud for an hour and then clear. The regional tourism office says plainly that rain and fog can cut visibility at the viewpoints. That is why the order of this tour is not fixed. Your driver watches the sky, and if Sete Cidades is under cloud first thing, the day can start in the east and come back west later.
The season changes the feel of Furnas more than the craters. Summer, from June to September, is the warmest time for the thermal pools, and also the busiest. May and October are milder, with fewer tour groups. In autumn and winter, fog is common around the hot springs in the village, and the steam hangs in it.
The summer rules at Lagoa do Fogo
This is the part of the island where the rules have changed most. To limit traffic on the mountain road and protect the reserve around the lake, the regional government introduced a summer shuttle there in 2023. In its first summers it ran from mid-June to the end of September, every day from 09:00 to 19:00, on two hop-on, hop-off loops between the car parks at Caldeira Velha and Casa da Água, with stops at the Lagoa do Fogo viewpoint, the Bela Vista viewpoint and Pico da Barrosa.
During those months, independent visitors in a hire car were expected to leave it at one of the car parks and take the shuttle. Tour operators, travel agencies, taxis and residents could still drive the road and use the small car park at the viewpoint, subject to conditions. The rules are set year by year, so check the regional tourism site for your dates. On this tour your driver takes you up and the stop is planned around the parking rules in force that day.
Lagoa do Fogo has no road down to the water and nothing built around it. What you see is from the rim. If the crater is full of cloud when you arrive, it is often worth waiting a short while, and the private car gives you that choice.
How the day fits together
You are collected at 07:00 from your hotel in Ponta Delgada or anywhere on the island. Sete Cidades comes first, at around 07:45, seen from the Vista do Rei viewpoint on the rim of the crater. Lagoa do Fogo follows at about 10:00. Then you cross to the east for Furnas and lunch at noon, Terra Nostra at 13:30 and the Gorreana tea plantation at 14:45, where entry is free. You are back at your hotel at around 16:00.
That is nine hours and the whole island, west to east. It is a full day, and most of it is either in the car or at a viewpoint. If you have the time, the tour can be split over two days instead: the west and the craters on one, Furnas and the east on the next. It makes for a slower trip with more time at each place.
Furnas: the stew, the steam and the pool
Furnas sits in a volcanic valley full of hot springs. In the village there are close to 30 caldeiras and fumaroles, bubbling at different temperatures and colours, and you can walk among them without a ticket.
The dish everyone asks about is cozido. Cooks lower the pots into the volcanic ground beside the fumaroles at the lake in the early morning, around 4am, and leave them there for about six hours. They are lifted out at around noon, which is when the tour reaches Furnas. Lunch is not included. Restaurants have only so many portions, so in summer it is worth reserving your cozido the day before. Note too that swimming in the Furnas lake is not allowed.
Terra Nostra is the garden around the large thermal pool. Its waters average 37 °C and carry magnesium, iron and calcium, which give the pool its iron colour. The story of the place goes back to the early 1780s, when Thomas Hickling built a summer house in the valley. The pool was much smaller then, and was greatly enlarged in 1935 under Vasco Bensaude. Two thermal jacuzzis were added in 2015 and 2016. Entrance is not included, and you pay at the gate.
Bring a swimsuit, and choose an old one. The iron in the water can stain fabric.
Hiring a car or a private day
You can hire a car on São Miguel and drive all of this yourself. What you take on is the planning: the shuttle at Lagoa do Fogo in summer, the order of the day against the cloud, where to park in Furnas, and a long drive back to Ponta Delgada in the late afternoon.
With a private car you hand all of that over. The driver changes the order when a crater is hidden, collects you at your door and drops you there at the end. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page.
What to bring
- A swimsuit you do not mind staining, and a towel.
- A light waterproof and a warm layer for the crater rims.
- Shoes with grip for wet paths at the viewpoints and in the Terra Nostra garden.
- Some local cash for small purchases, such as tea at Gorreana.
Who it suits, and who should think twice
The day suits people who want to see the whole island and do not mind a lot of road. Families do well too, since most stops are short and the warm pool at Terra Nostra breaks up the afternoon.
Think twice if you have only a few hours, or if long days in the car wear you out. In that case two shorter days are the better plan. If you want a whale-watching trip, the boats leave Ponta Delgada in the morning, and the tour can start once you are back on land; tell us your boat time when you book.
Questions people ask
Can we split the island over two days?
Yes. Take the west and the craters one day, and Furnas and the east the next. It is a gentler way to see São Miguel, with more time at each stop.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you are refunded in full. See our cancellation page.
What if there are more than 16 of us?
Two vehicles travel together on one booking. Message us and we will price it.
Booking the day
Choose your day or days, pack an old swimsuit and a light waterproof, and book your cozido lunch if you are coming in summer. The timings, the pick-up and what is included are on the São Miguel private day tour page, where you choose the size of your group and book.
