On the fourth and final day on São Miguel, we dedicated our time to hiking around the rim of the Sete Cidades caldera.
The Sete Cidades caldera rim trail is one of the most famous and scenic hikes in the Azores. It offers stunning panoramic views of the twin lakes—Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Verde—as well as the surrounding volcanic landscape, coastal views, and lush green hills. The trail is about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) long and takes around 3-4 hours to complete.
The route starts near the Vista do Rei viewpoint and ends in Sete Cidades village. Following other tourists’ advice, we drove to Sete Cidades village and left the car near São Nicolau Church. From there, we took a taxi to the trailhead.
The church itself has an interesting design, and the biggest hydrangeas i saw so far grow in the valley surrounding it.
The trail started off quite flat with some interesting fauna along the way.
As we continued along the trail, we came across another old aqueduct, draped in moss and thick vegetation. Its overgrown state made me think about a movie where all people suddenly disappeared from the planet and nature reclaimed its territory.
Then the trail became steeper, and for the next 600 meters, I found myself focusing less on the surrounding fauna and more on catching my breath.
As they say, the best view comes after the hardest climb. The ascent wasn’t that hard, but the view at the top was absolutely breathtaking.
The trail circles the entire rim, offering views of the lakes from various angles.
For the most part, the path is fairly flat and no people along the way. Only cows were there, living their best lives, munching on grass and enjoying the ocean view. Beautiful and peaceful.
Along the path, I noticed some interesting bumps—big and round. I wasn’t quite sure what they were, but they definitely caught my attention.
Even though the trail is about 11 km, it doesn’t feel that long at all. I could have kept walking for a few more hours, but already reached Sete Cidades.
When we got back to the city and returned to pick up the car, I discovered that while we were walking the trail, a group of strong men had decorated the alley in front of the church.
