Wildlife and Adventure on Sao Miguel

Formally named after its guardian, the Archangel Michael, Sao Miguel is also known as Ilha Verde, or “the Green Island”, owing to its emerald green tea plantations. The largest of the Azores islands, Sao Miguel is also the most cosmopolitan, and offers the widest range of hotels and restaurants, as well as lots of outdoor activities from canyoning, diving, fishing, kayaking, birding and hiking. In recent years, the Azores have become especially popular for whale watching, with most tours taking place from Sao Miguel. (This has prompted the local government to put in place guidelines to protect the whales; please ensure you follow the guidance from your wildlife guide at all times.)

Sete Cidades is the most photographed site in the Azores, and with good reason – the views here are simply stunning! The twin crater lakes (one blue, one green) are located within a 3-mile wide caldera, surrounded by richly fertile hills and valleys, carpeted with wildflowers and pockets of cedar forest. Perhaps nowhere else on Sao Miguel is the biodiversity of the Azores more visible than at Sete Cidades. At first glance, the emerald green waters of the caldera and richly fertile volcanic landscapes that surround it might make one think of the tropics, but the vegetation – a mix of wildflower meadows, tall cedar forests, and arable pasture – are a reminder that you are still in the temperate climes of Europe!

The rich birdlife of the Azores is also on full display at Sete Cidades, with native birds such as the Western Azores goldcrest often sighted here, as well as many migratory birds.

You’ll have the chance to explore the landscape around Sete Cidades today, taking in the views from various vantage points. On a clear day, the views extend as far as the ocean. The jeep tour ends at Sete Cidades village, on the shores of Lakes Azul and Verde, where you stop for lunch.

After lunch, continue your exploration of the region with kayaking on the lake and by cycling on the surrounding trails. The kayaking and cycling will be at a leisurely pace, and accompanied by your guide.

Late afternoon, you will be returned to your hotel in Ponta Delgada, with the rest of the evening at leisure.

Your marine expedition starts in Ponta Delgada Harbour, where you’ll have a briefing with the marine biologists who will accompany you on the tour, before setting sail. You’ll be sailing on a catamaran vessel, which you’ll share with other guests (up to 70 per tour).

You can hope to see a variety of whales during your tour, with several species present in the waters of the Azores, including blue, sei, fin, minke and sperm whales. Note that many whale species appear in the waters of the Azores only seasonally. The larger baleen whales (blue, sei, fin) can typically be seen between April and June.

In addition to whale watching, these excursions will reveal a variety of dolphin species frolicking in the warm waters. Bottlenose dolphins, Risso’s dolphins, common dolphins, and occasionally Fraser’s dolphin may be seen in the Azores.

After your exhilarating whale watching expedition, return to Ponta Delgada for lunch in a local restaurant before heading off with your driver/guide to visit some of the many beautiful spots on the island. First is a visit to the nature reserve of Lagoa do Fogo (Lake of Fire). This crater lake and its surrounding region are a protected area and very beautiful. It is also among the highest spots on the island, and on a clear day offers panoramic views of the coast. The caldera has steep sides but there is a well-marked path to the bottom, where several endemic species thrive. Between March and September, this is a great spot for birdwatching, attracting colonies of yellow-legged gulls, Azores buzzards, kites, seagulls, blackbirds and common tern.

Continue your tour with a visit to the hot springs of Caldeira Velha, hidden amidst the laurel forested slopes of Fogo Volcano. Enjoy a soak in the geothermal waters, which are naturally heated and minerally rich, before returning to Ponta Delgada via Riberea Grande (the second largest town on the island).

Birdwatching is good all year round in the Azores, but the months of March to May are the perfect time to spot migratory species alongside endemics such as the priolo, or Azorean bullfinch, one of the rarest birds in Europe.

Your birdwatching tour will not follow a fixed itinerary, but rather will be adjusted by your guide depending on the time of year and your own interests. Areas you might cover include Nordeste on the north-east coast of Sao Miguel, where you will encounter spectacular coastal scenery as well as good opportunities for sighting many different seabirds; Furnas Lake, one of three caldera lakes on the island, where ducks, waders, egrets and herons can be seen; and Caloura, a tiny fishing harbour on the southern coast of Sao Miguel that is sheltered by high cliffs where common and roseate terns nest.

Lunch at a local restaurant is included during today’s tour. After the bird-watching, you will be returned to your hotel in Ponta Delgada, with the rest of the evening at leisure.

Following an established walking trail, you’ll trek through the Serra Devassa to reach Eguas Peak, one of the highest points on the island at 870m. Along the way, you’ll pass a number of lakes, as well as the crumbling and overgrown remains of the Carvao (coal) Aqueducts, which present a wonderfully atmospheric sight, especially on a cool and misty day!

After lunch and time to rest at Eguas Peak, your walk will continue to the famous viewpoint of Grota do Inferno, where you will be greeted with far reaching views over the lakes and ocean. The trail then leads to the lakes of Empadadas, before arriving back at your starting point. From here, you will be returned to your hotel in Ponta Delgada, with the evening at leisure.

Today’s walk is a moderate hike of 10km, which will be conducted at a leisurely pace. Good walking boots are essential! Longer or shorter walks can also be arranged. Walking poles are provided.

The Azoreans hunted whales until the 1980s, becoming experts at spotting the creatures. To assist in spotting the whales, they used towers (vigias) placed high on the cliffs. Each vigia had an opening where the spotter would sit with binoculars and watch for whales; once spotted, they would send a smoke signal to the whalers. Today the vigias and spotters serve a very different role. Their skill in spotting whales enables visitors to observe and enjoy these beautiful creatures, with radio communications having taken the place of smoke signals.

You’ll be returned to Ponta Delgada harbour at the end of your whale-watching tour, with the rest of the evening at leisure.