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The family adventure in São Miguel
    • Portugal - Azores
    • 8 days
    • Walking
    • Self-guided
      • From January to December
    • 2 - 10 travellers
      • Simple
      • Trip code : L1206
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About the The family adventure in São Miguel trip

Embark on an adventure to São Miguel Island with your family! You will embrace the freedom of exploration with your rental car all around the island. Your days will be filled with exhilarating kayaking excursion, biking along a volcanic lake and immersing yourselves in the breathtaking beauty of the Atlantic during emblematic hikes. Through this journey, we invite you to dive into the traditions and the beauty of the Azores: green volcanoes, colourful flowers, authentic cozido dish and unique tea plantations – all the ingredients are gathered for the perfect family trip.

Traveling to São Miguel with family is an incomparable adventure, filled with shared laughter on activities, discovery, and unforgettable moments. This self-drive travel is an invitation to experiencing a new culture together, each journey strengthens bonds and creates cherished memories that last a lifetime.

Highlights of the trip

  • A self-catering holiday with a hire car
  • Two accommodations with pool and one is the city centre of the capital
  • Optional activities for adults and children alike
  • A perfect balance between nature and culture



Customize your holiday by contacting us here 

From the blog

The family adventure in São Miguel : Day by day 

Day 1 - Your arrival in Ponta Delgada

  • Welcome to Ponta Delgada ! You will pick your rental car up and drive to your first accommodation located by the ocean on the north coast, in the village of Capelas. Check into your accommodation for the next three nights. From this small village, you can enjoy lush landscapes, serene beaches and meet a welcoming community rich in tradition.
  • MEALS included : none

  • ACCESS:
    . By air: There are regular flights that go directly to Ponta Delgada airport or via Lisbon, the Portuguese capital.

Day 2 - Sete Cidades

  • Walk - Vista do Rei > Sete Cidades > Vista do Rei
    4 hours  /  15 km - 9,3 miles round trip / Ascent: +400m - Descent: -450m
  • It is uncontestably the most emblematic site of the Azores, thanks to its 5km wide caldera (about 18km²) and an average depth of 400m. It is believed that this volcano has been active for the last 500 000 years. Its caldera was made 36 000 years ago, and it is home to two unusual lakes, Blue lake and Green lake, separated by a bridge made of 7 arches, that represent the seven cities of the lost continent: the Atlantis is supposedly located in the lake! (ref: Blake and Mortimer, the Atlantis Mistery).
  • Option : Once in Sete Cidades, we offer you the possibility to add a kayaking or biking activity (contact us to book it in advance before departure).
  • Night in Capelas
  • MEALS included : Breakfast

Day 3 - From the northern coast to Furnas

  • Walk - Gorreana tea plantation > Maia > Praia da Viola
    . 1 hour in the tea plantation 
    . 2 hours 30  /  5,5 km - 3,4 miles / Ascent: +300 - Descent: -230m
  • Today, you change region and head to the Furnas valley in the centre of the Island. First, make a stop at the tea plantation in Gorreana, one of the two unique plantations in Europe. Here the tea is cultivated, collected, and manufactured according to ancestral methods.
  • Then, we invite you to walk to Maia for the beginning of the hike. The path winds through the meticulously pruned green shrubs. We recommend following the path that runs through the plantations. Some elevated parts of the trail boast great views of the northern coast. A small country lane will lead you to the village of Maia. From here begins a beautiful coastal hike through nature and culture. The path overlooking the ocean passes through the basins once used by the women of the village to wash clothes before arriving at a set of water mills, witnesses to the island's glorious past in wheat farming.  Return via the wild beach of Praia da Viola which passes at the foot of the waterfalls.
  • Drive towards Furnas where you will check in for the next three nights. 
  • Night in Furnas
  • MEALS included : Breakfast

Day 4 - Furnas and cozido

  • Walk - Lagoa do Furnas
    3 hours / 12 km - 7,4 miles / Ascent: +250m - Descent: -270m
  • Today you are hiking in the crater of Furnas. Through lush vegetation, you will see the active volcano of the archipelago (fumaroles and sulphur springs) and its close links with the gastronomic traditions of this valley: the famous "cozido" stewed with geothermal on the lake sides.
  • Back in Furnas, we invite you for a relaxing moment in the beautiful Terra Nostra Garden. Don't forget your own towel to take a bath in the warm waters.
  • Night in Furnas
  • MEALS included : Breakfast

Day 5 - Faial da Terra

  • . Short walk - Outeiro  > Faial da Terra > Outeiro
    1 hour 30  /  4 km - 2,4 miles  / Ascent: +265m - Descent: -265m
    . Long walk - Quatro Caminho da Faial da Terra
    3 hours 30 / 8 km - 4,9 miles / Ascent: +420m - Descent: -420m
  • You will walk along the southern coast of São Miguel, eastern of the eroded caldeira of Povoação. The Faial da Terra ribeira also known as the Sanguinho hike (nicknamed like that because of the endemic tree that grows there: the frangula azorica). Two loops to enjoy regarding your energy of the day.
  • On the evening, you are waited at a traditional restaurant to taste the unique cozido.
  • Night in Furnas
  • MEALS included : Breakfast and Dinner

Day 6 - Lagoa do Fogo

  • Walk - Agua do Alto > Lagoa do Fogo > Agua do Alto
    3 hours  /  11,5 km - 6,8 miles  / Ascent: +520 - Descent: -500m
  • A beautiful hike to the most exceptional and untamed lake of this island: the famous Lagoa do Fogo. To get to this beautiful lake you will walk along a Levada and cross a geothermal active area as the itinerary goes up to the crests from which you will have many incredible vantage points over the surrounding areas. Walk back down on wide mountain pass that will take you back down to the coast. For the botanists, you will come across, in this Nature Park founded in 1974, many curious endemic and protected plants!
  • Night in Furnas.
  • MEALS included : Breakfast

Day 7 - Full day adventure

  • Enjoy a great adventure on this new day in São Miguel: whale watching tour, local food lunch at a village restaurant, and ferry on a traditional fishing boat to explore the Princess Ring Islet will be on the menu.
    After a short briefing, you will board for an approximately 3-hour whale watching tour.
    For lunch, we invite you at a local seafront village restaurant – at walking distance from our Marina – to enjoy Azorean dishes.
    Then, you will go on a converted traditional fishing boat to the islet to explore the natural reserve Princess Ring by yourselves. The volcanic crater and its natural pool is the perfect place for bathing, swimming and snorkeling
     ** This tour is inappropriate and inadvisable for anyone pregnant, with weak back, in wheelchair, in delicate health condition, or under the age of 4.
  • Afterwards, you will drive to your last hotel located in the city center of Ponta Delgada, capital of the island.
  • Night in Ponta Delgada
  • MEALS included : Breakfast and Lunch

Day 8 - End of your trip

  • End of your trip in  São Miguel!
    Drop the car off before flight departure at the desk of the rental car company.
  • MEALS included : Breakfast

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      • Portugal - Azores
      • 8 days
    • Walking
    • Self-guided
      • From January to December

  •   Accommodation choice :

      • Simple

    • Highlights of the trip

    • A self-catering holiday with a hire car
    • Two accommodations with pool and one is the city centre of the capital
    • Optional activities for adults and children alike
    • A perfect balance between nature and culture



    Customize your holiday by contacting us here 

    From 1050 € / pers
    Trip details
    The family adventure in São Miguel
        • Portugal - Azores
        • 2 adults (2x1050€)
        • 0 children (0x1050€)
      • 8 days
      • Simple
    Total 2100€
    Deposit 600€
    Book now !