On day 3, our plan was to visit the island’s main attraction—Sete Cidades—and explore the popular tourist spots and lookouts around it. Sete Cidades is famous worldwide for its iconic twin lakes, Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Verde. If you Google – “Azores”, these lakes will likely be one of the first images to appear.
Our first stop of the day was Miradouro da Vista do Rei, an ideal spot to capture photos of the iconic twin lakes. The weather was cloudy and rainy, so the lakes weren’t as bright and colorful as in the typical pictures, but they are still very pretty.
In the parking lot, there’s a poster that lists the main spots around Sete Cidades and provides basic information about the area. I found it very helpful for planning driving direction and next stop.
Aside from the beautiful views, the area also attracts tourists with its abandoned hotel. Monte Palace Hotel was once a five-star luxury hotel that opened in 1989. The hotel featured 88 rooms, a nightclub, restaurants, and offered a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape.
Despite its grand opening and luxurious facilities, the hotel struggled financially due to its remote location, limited tourism at the time, and high operating costs. Just two years after opening, Monte Palace was closed in 1991 and has remained abandoned since then. Today in the overcast, misty weather the hotel feels like something straight out of the Chernobyl.
After the gloomy atmosphere of the abandoned hotel, I felt the need to balance it out with something beautiful. So we headed to the main spot on my list – the “Miradouro da Grota do Inferno.” This viewpoint is one of the most spectacular and famous in the region, offering one of the best panoramic views of the Sete Cidades volcanic landscape.
The parking lot was surprisingly busy for October rainy day, and I can only imagine how crowded it gets during the high season. On our way to the viewpoint, we decided to take a short detour to visit another attraction recommended by the parking lot poster—Lagoa do Canário which was described as a serene lake with a peaceful atmosphere, surrounded by lush, green forest.
The sources definitely didn’t lie about the lush green forest. It truly felt magical.
In terms of the lake, I’d rather call it a body of water. With dozens of tourists around, there wasn’t much peaceful about it.
From there, we continued our journey to the Boca do Inferno Viewpoint, which promises a 360-degree panorama of the area, with the Atlantic Ocean visible on the horizon on a clear day. In just a few minutes, we learned that “clear day” is the key phrase.
When we reached the top, we saw a crowd intently gazing into the mist.
So, we joined the crowd, unwilling to give up. The day was quite windy, and we hoped the clouds would be blown away, revealing the stunning views I had been looking forward to all day.
And hallelujah, it started to clear up!
The clouds kept rolling in and out, never quite clearing enough for the perfect picture. However, I was looking forward to hiking around the rim of the Sete Cidades caldera next day, so I felt like I had seen enough for the day.
The next stop was the Aqueduto de Carvo – structure that looks like abandoned train track. But apparently it was built in the 18th century to transport water from the springs in the mountains to the town of Ponta Delgada.
From the top, you can see how narrow the aqueduct is.
This spot also offers a beautiful view of the coastline.
Before heading to the next stop on the list – The water tunnel, we made a stop at another viewpoint -Miradouro da Lagoa de Santiago.
The Água de Pau Water Tunnel is underground tunnel was built in the early 20th century to transport water from the nearby Lagoa do Canário to the city of Ponta Delgada.
The tunnel goes through the mountain, allowing visitors to walk through it. However, it’s very dark inside, with no lights except for the illumination from your phone. The ground is very muddy, and after about 30 meters, I started to feel claustrophobic, nyctophobic and imagined rats running around, so I decided to turn back. As a result, I’m not sure what lies on the other side.
The area surrounding the tunnel is a nice spot to take a break. There are picnic tables available, offering a perfect place to relax and enjoy the scenery before, after or instead of exploring the tunnel.
The roads in the Azores are the most scenic I have ever seen, with bright green hills and ocean views around every corner. What makes this place truly special is the abundance of hydrangeas. Originally, hydrangeas were introduced to the Azores from Asia in the 19th century, but due to the islands’ unique climate and volcanic soil, which create ideal growing conditions for these plants, they quickly spread and became a signature feature of the landscape. These vibrant flowers are everywhere—lining the sides of the roads, along hiking trails, in gardens, and in the streets. After that trip, I was tempted to plant them all around my house.
I had heard many things about the natural pools around the island. Due to its volcanic nature, the Azores don’t have many sandy beaches, and the coastline can be quite rough with choppy ocean waters. As a result, these natural pools used for a safe and enjoyable way for people to swim in the ocean.
One of the pools on our way was Ponta da Ferraria. I read that this is a thermal water pool, so we decided to stop by hoping to soak in the water and enjoy the view. I imagined that a thermal pool would be something like the hot spring baths I was lucky enough to experience in Iceland. However, it was nothing like that.
First, the thermal water mixes with the Atlantic Ocean, so it’s not warm—pretty cold, actually. Second, it doesn’t look safe at all, with big waves crashing in. A few enthusiasts were swimming there, but I decided to pass on it. But even though I didn’t swim, it’s a very pretty area to visit and walk around to see the lave rock formations.
Some rocks speak italian.
The last viewpoint on my check list that day was Miradouro de Pico do Barbossa.The view from up there suppose to be quite impressive and offer a wide panorama of the island.
Well, I had to believe it because all I could see was mist.
Since I wasn’t brave enough to swim at the thermal pools at Ponta da Ferraria, I still didn’t lose hope of experiencing a thermal bath that day. I decided to make another attempt and finish my day soaking in the hot springs of Caldeira Velha. In pictures, it looks like paradise—natural pools with hot, healing waters surrounded by lush jungle, almost like a home for elves from The Lord of the Rings.
However, upon arriving, we discovered that the site has a limited capacity. Since we came late, all the spots had been reserved for a group of tourists who arrived just before us by bus. I still had one more day on the island to try again. Unfortunately, the evening slots for the following day were also fully booked.
Despite another failure, the views at Caldeira Velha were still great.
