Activity
Lagoa das Sete Cidades: kayak and SUP
Paddle the calm crater lake under the green caldera walls; several firms in Sete Cidades rent SUPs and sit-on-top kayaks. Prices and season: ask locally.
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Town · Azores, Portugal, Europe
Sete Cidades, São Miguel
Village in the big crater at São Miguel's western end, by the Blue and Green lakes, the Azores' largest lake. A day trip from Ponta Delgada: 30 minutes by car, or AzoresBus lines 205, 206 and 208. Viewpoints on the rim, two waymarked trails down, and frequent cloud. Research draft, not first-hand.
- Time zone
- Azores time
When to go
Sete Cidades through the year
- January: high 17.5 °C, low 12.7 °C, 13 rainy days, 3.1 hours of sun a day, sea 17 °C
- February: high 17.4 °C, low 12.1 °C, 10.8 rainy days, 3.7 hours of sun a day, sea 16.5 °C
- March: high 17.9 °C, low 12.6 °C, 11.7 rainy days, 3.9 hours of sun a day, sea 16.3 °C
- April: high 18.8 °C, low 13.3 °C, 10.2 rainy days, 4.7 hours of sun a day, sea 16.6 °C
- May: high 20.2 °C, low 14.6 °C, 8.7 rainy days, 5.6 hours of sun a day, sea 17.8 °C
- June: high 22.4 °C, low 16.8 °C, 6.6 rainy days, 5.4 hours of sun a day, sea 19.6 °C
- July: high 24.7 °C, low 18.9 °C, 4.8 rainy days, 6.7 hours of sun a day, sea 21.9 °C
- August: high 26 °C, low 19.9 °C, 6.5 rainy days, 6.9 hours of sun a day, sea 23.3 °C
- September: high 25 °C, low 19.1 °C, 9.4 rainy days, 5.8 hours of sun a day, sea 23.1 °C
- October: high 22.6 °C, low 17.1 °C, 13.7 rainy days, 4.6 hours of sun a day, sea 21.3 °C
- November: high 19.9 °C, low 14.9 °C, 11.8 rainy days, 3.6 hours of sun a day, sea 19.4 °C
- December: high 18.3 °C, low 13.4 °C, 15 rainy days, 3 hours of sun a day, sea 17.9 °C
Long-term averages, not a forecast. Source: IPMA: Normal Climatológica 1991–2020, Ponta Delgada / Observatório Afonso Chaves (station 513, 35 m), PDF v1.0 2024, read . Full month-by-month guide →
For families
Sete Cidades with kids
Opening hours, prices and age limits for each day out, with the date we read them. Beaches have their own access notes further down.
PR3SMI from Vista do Rei to the village
7.5 km, linear, rated easy, but with a steep and slippery stretch on the Arrebentões road near the end (Azores Trails).
Miradouro da Grota do Inferno (often called Boca do Inferno)
not difficult, but not recommended for reduced mobility, so not for buggies (Azores tourism portal).
Places
Places in Sete Cidades
Beaches, viewpoints and days out, each with the date it was last checked.
Schematic: positions from each place's coordinates, no roads or coastline. Not for navigation.
Surf and activities 4
Activity
PR3SMI Vista do Rei – Sete Cidades trail
Official 7.5 km linear trail from the Vista do Rei viewpoint down to Sete Cidades village; easy, about 2 hours, with one steep, slippery stretch.
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Activity
PR4SMI Mata do Canário – Sete Cidades trail
Official 11.7 km linear trail along the Sete Cidades crater ridge, past the Pico da Cruz viewpoint, down to the village church; medium, about 3 hours.
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Activity
PRC5SMI Serra Devassa trail
Official 9.1 km loop through the lake uplands east of the Sete Cidades crater, up Pico das Éguas and past the Grota do Inferno view; medium, about 3.5 hours.
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Sights and viewpoints 1
Viewpoint
Miradouro da Grota do Inferno (Boca do Inferno)
The 'Boca do Inferno' view over the Sete Cidades crater lakes, in the Lagoa do Canário forest; the tourism portal does not recommend the access path for visitors with reduced mobility.
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In detail
The notes behind this page
Sete Cidades is a village on the floor of a large volcanic crater at the western end of São Miguel, next to the Blue and Green lakes, which together form the largest lake in the Azores [2]. It’s the island’s best-known view and an easy day trip from Ponta Delgada: about 30 minutes by car, or a bus ride to the village [11][6]. The catch is the weather. The rim sits well above the coast, rain rises steeply with altitude on São Miguel [10], and the lakes are often hidden in cloud.
Places
- Miradouro da Vista do Rei: the south-west rim viewpoint, start of PR3SMI.
- Miradouro da Grota do Inferno: the “Boca do Inferno” view over several crater lakes, in the Lagoa do Canário forest.
- PR4SMI Mata do Canário trail: 11.7 km along the crater ridge down to the village.
- PR3SMI Vista do Rei trail: 7.5 km, easy, from the viewpoint down to the village church.
- PRC5SMI Serra Devassa trail: a 9.1 km loop through the upland lakes, past Grota do Inferno.
- Kayak and SUP on the lake: rentals in the village, per the municipal tourism site.
Keep reading: 4 more sections
By bus: what works on which day
| Day | Out (Ponta Delgada, Alfândega) | Back from Sete Cidades | Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekdays | 08:32, arrives 09:45 | 17:15 to Ramal Mosteiros, then 17:45 on, arrives 18:40 (206) or 19:03 (208) (see note) | 205 out, 206 or 208 back [6][7][8] |
| Saturday | 07:15, arrives 09:00 | 16:25 (arrives 18:27); the 20:00 runs only June–September | 208 [8][7] |
| Sunday | 08:30, arrives 10:30 | 18:00 via Mosteiros (arrives 19:28) or 18:05 (arrives about 20:00); the 20:00 runs only June–September | 206, 208 [7][8] |
Note: in the 206 PDF the weekday 17:15 from Sete Cidades ends at Ramal Mosteiros (Merendário) at 17:35. From that stop the 206 from Mosteiros village leaves at 17:45 and reaches Ponta Delgada at 18:40, and line 208 also leaves at 17:45, reaching Ponta Delgada at 19:03. Whether it is the same bus going on we couldn’t confirm; ask the driver or check the AzoresBus app. Buses stop in the village, not on the rim [6][8].
Viewpoints and trails
- Vista do Rei is about 24 minutes’ drive from Ponta Delgada [13]; PR3SMI runs from there down to the village, 7.5 km, linear, easy, with a steep, slippery descent on the Arrebentões road [4].
- Grota do Inferno is in the Lagoa do Canário forest, about 28 minutes from Ponta Delgada by car [12]; access is “not difficult” but not for reduced mobility [3].
- PR4SMI starts near Mata do Canário and follows the ridge round the Blue Lake to the village: 11.7 km, medium, about 3 hours [5].
Both trails are linear and end at the São Nicolau church, so a weekend bus back to Ponta Delgada can close the loop [4][5][8].
Fog: check before you go
SpotAzores lists live webcams for “Sete Cidades – Cumeeiras” (the rim) and “Sete Cidades – Lagoa” [9]. If the rim camera shows white, go to the coast and try again later; with a car you can wait it out, by bus you can’t.
Sources
Numbered references match the source list on this page. All read on 9 October 2026.
Sete Cidades: quick answers
Can you get to Sete Cidades by bus?
Yes, to the village by the lakes, not to the viewpoints on the rim. On the October 2026 AzoresBus timetables: Saturdays line 208 leaves Ponta Delgada at 07:15 (arrives 09:00) and returns 16:25 (back 18:27); Sundays 08:30 (arrives 10:30), back on line 206 at 18:00 (arrives 19:28) or line 208 at 18:05 (about 20:00). Later 20:00 returns run only June–September. On weekdays line 205 leaves at 08:32 and arrives 09:45; for the return, line 206 shows a 17:15 from Sete Cidades to the Ramal Mosteiros junction (17:35), and from the same stop line 206 leaves at 17:45 (Ponta Delgada 18:40) and line 208 at 17:45 (Ponta Delgada 19:03); ask the driver whether you stay on the same bus.
How long does it take to drive from Ponta Delgada to Sete Cidades?
About 30 minutes and 26 km to the village by the routing model we used, and just under 30 minutes to the Grota do Inferno viewpoint car park area. Vista do Rei is about 24 minutes.
What is the best viewpoint over Sete Cidades?
The two classics are Vista do Rei on the south-west rim, where the PR3SMI trail starts, and Miradouro da Grota do Inferno (Boca do Inferno) in the Lagoa do Canário forest, which the regional tourism portal calls one of the island's most iconic viewpoints. Cloud can hide the lakes from both; check the live webcams before you drive up.
Can you hike from the rim down to Sete Cidades?
Yes, on two official trails: PR3SMI Vista do Rei to Sete Cidades (7.5 km, linear, easy) and PR4SMI Mata do Canário to Sete Cidades (11.7 km, linear, medium, about 3 hours) along the crater ridge. Both end at the São Nicolau church in the village, where the buses stop.