Sete Cidades – Everything you need to know about the Azores most popular attraction

​If you were convinced to visit the Azores by our previous post about the 10 reasons why your next trip should be to the Azores and our travel guide to São Miguel, I’m certain you have added Sete Cidades to your list of musts! And with reason since without a doubt, Sete Cidades is the most recognized site of the Azores. Keep reading for everything you need to know about hiking, visiting and touring Sete Cidades.

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Sete Cidades - Ultimate guide 
Everything you need to know about hiking and touring the most popular attraction of the azores

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​What is it
Sete Cidades is a crater on the western side of São Miguel Island in the Azores. Other than the gorgeous nature views it provides, what makes Sete Cidades so incredible is the two adjacent lakes within its crater: one blue and one green.
 
The legend goes that a king’s green-eyed daughter fell in love with a blue-eyed sheppard on the mountains of the coast. When the cruel king found out and forbade their love, they escaped onto the fields one last time and cried so much that their tears formed the two lakes. One lake green for the green-eyed princess, and one lake blue for the blue-eyed sheppard. Got to love those love stories!

My first view into Sete Cidades - breathtaking right?

​When to go
Although the weather is quite unpredictable on the Azores, try to go to Sete Cidades on a clear day. When the sun is shining you will see the reflection of the green and blue of the lakes much more vibrantly. The hike and activities will also be more pleasant if you can stay dry and your photos may even do it justice!
 
Most people will visit in the summer months of July to mid September for the best weather conditions, but winter trekking is also possible and comfortable as the weather is very mild. You will not have to trek in snow, don’t worry!

Miradouro Vista do Rei gives you a great bird's eye view of the blue and green lake!

What to do

Hiking:
You can find details of the island's trails on VisitAzores.com. Look up by island for São Miguel and choose hike Mata do Canário - Sete Cidades or Vista do Rei - Sete Cidades. Those are the two marked trails that you can do. They are long and have some steep climbs, but are safe to do on your own, as there is a constant flow of people coming and going.
 
If you took the bus, you likely won’t have time to do both, but by car you can definitely do it in one day if you wanted to.
 
Paddle boarding or canoeing:
Along the lake of the crater, you will find a modern structure of restaurants, coffee bars and tour companies. Here you will find canoes and paddle boards available for rent. I decided to go with a little stand by the beach area where a paddle board stand was set up and went on the water for close to an hour as the lovely older gentlemen who owned the stand kept an eye on my backpack. Putting my feet in the water after over 20km of hiking that day was pure bliss!

The hiking trails are marked with these yellow and red lines. Keep your eyes open, some are hard to see!

Miradouro:
Miradouro is the Portuguese translation of viewpoint. When you see this, follow the signs and chances are that you will get your breath taken away! At Sete Cidades, I went to three and two of them are particularly worth the time. The first one is called Miradouro da Boca do Inferno, it's at the end of a long winding path when you’re in the mountains and overlooking the village. You can see the lakes, multiple craters and the Atlantic Ocean beyond. It is truly magical!
 
The second one, Miradouro da Vista do Rei is actually an old abandoned hotel. Back in the 80’s, they started building this resort-like would be hotel, but ran out of funding before construction was even completed. All that stands here is the concrete structure of the hotel, full of graffiti’s, and it is super cool! What’s really great about it is that you can go inside and climb up the concrete spiral staircase to get to the top. Explore the dark hallways and step on to the balconies. At the top are the absolute best views of Sete Cidades. You can find a couple of vendors here selling water, drinks and snacks, so it’s a good pit stop!

Inside the abandoned hotel Vista do Rei, it's creepy but cool to see!

How to get there
So there are multiple ways to visit Sete Cidades. I chose to go the inexpensive way, but we’ll go through all your options here.
 
By Bus:
The most inexpensive way of experiencing Sete Cidades is to simply take the bus from Ponta Delgada and hike around the crater to the viewpoints. You will likely only have time to do part of the hike as the bus schedules are very limiting, but for about 8€ you can get the full experience.
 
First thing you must do if you decide to use the bus option is to go to the tourist office in Ponta Delgada the day before, and request a bus schedule. There are three lines of city buses and each line does a section of the island (with some overlap).  A bus that takes you down to Sete Cidades itself is ideal. Keep note of the departure times both for going and coming back, as I mentioned before, there are a limited number.
 
To take advantage of your day, I recommend taking the first bus out, which left at 9:00 a.m. and take the last return, which was scheduled for 16:20 p.m. when I was there. A note on that, make sure you’re at the bus stop ahead of time so you don’t miss it, but be aware that it often runs late.
 
By Car:
Renting a car is the most freeing way of exploring a new country and it is definitely the most convenient way of seeing Sete Cidades. Not only can you come and go as you please, but you can aim to be at the viewpoints before or after everyone else. You also get a chance to get around and fully enjoy each site without time constraints.
 
Although you have a car, I recommend that you do a little bit of a hike to truly enjoy the scenery. Remember that you have to return to your parking spot afterwards, the trails of Sete Cidades are linear meaning you start at point A and return at point B.
 
Car rentals are available widely in Ponta Delgada, from the airport to downtown.  Availability is limited however, so you should always book in advance. If you wait to long, you’ll end up like me, either having to drive a full size minivan through the tiny streets of the island or making your way on foot!
 
With a Tour Company:
Tours of Sete Cidades are available with a multitude of companies on the island. Jeep tour, hiking tours and a hop on, hop off bus can be found along the main costal street of downtown (Av. Infante Dom Henrique). Ask questions and read the reviews on sites such as Trip Advisor before choosing a company to ensure you get what you want out of it. They range from $50 to $150 depending on the type and amount of time. 

Can you beat this view? I don't think so!

What to bring
Depending on what you intend on doing, there are a few things you should bring with you.
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• Water: bring more than you think you will need if hiking, the blaring sun can dehydrate you quickly!
• Sunscreen: Nobody likes to deal with sunburns on vacation.
• Snacks: There are a few restaurants in the village, but otherwise not many places to buy food.
• Camera: You will want to capture the sights, even if it doesn’t do it justice, trust me!
• Hiking shoes and sandals: The hills can be steep, rocky and slippery, so good shoes should be worn if you’re trekking at all. Once you’re done the trek, you’ll be glad to slip on those sandals though!
• Lightweight waterproof jacket: in case it rains and gets cold, which is common for this area.
• Maps of the trails: whether you have a GPS, a phone with data or a paper map, just make sure to have something. The trails are marked, but sometimes can be difficult to make out.
• Backpack: You’ll need one to put all this stuff in!

From every angle, you will get your breath taken away!

​So there’s everything you need to know in order to plan your day trip to Sete Cidades. Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments if you have any questions.
 
J&C

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