The Azores Islands: 12 Places to See Across Nine Islands
Explore the Azores Islands, Portugal's volcanic archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. This route covers the nine islands known for their dramatic craters, thermal geothermal areas, and pristine natural landscapes shaped by volcanic activity over millennia.
- Mode
- Places
- Start
- Lagoa do Fogo
- End
- Terra Nostra Park
- Stops
- 12
- Video author
- travmap
- Updated
Stops on this route
- Lagoa do Fogo — A stunning crater lake on São Miguel Island surrounded by lush calderas, offering spectacular hiking trails and panoramic views of volcanic landscapes.
- Capelinhos, Faial — A dramatic volcanic cape born from a 1957 eruption, featuring a lighthouse and stark lava fields that showcase the Azores' ongoing geological activity.
- São Jorge — Long, narrow island with dramatic 500-meter cliffs, featuring 46 fajãs (fertile flatlands) created by landslides and lava flows.
- Terceira & Angra
- Flores & Corvo — Remote western islands famed for dramatic cliff formations, cascading waterfalls, and pristine wilderness offering challenging hiking and untouched natural scenery.
- Whales & Marine Life
- Sete Cidades — Twin volcanic crater lakes with blue and green waters, surrounded by a 4 km wide crater, listed among Portugal's Seven Natural Wonders.
- Vista do Rei — Panoramic viewpoint overlooking both crater lakes of Sete Cidades, offering sweeping views of the blue and green waters.
- Boca do Inferno — Narrow ridge viewpoint on the crater rim of Sete Cidades, considered the most dramatic lookout in the entire Azores archipelago.
- Monte Palace Hotel — Abandoned hotel ruin since the 1990s, located between Vista do Rei and Boca do Inferno, with windows still framing the crater lakes.
- Furnas — Geothermal village with active fumaroles, hot springs, and caldeiras where the traditional cozido das Furnas stew is cooked using volcanic heat.
- Terra Nostra Park — Thermal spa with rust-colored iron-mineral pools maintained at 35°C, surrounded by botanical gardens planted over two centuries ago.
Useful for your trip
- Food
- Try cozido das Furnas in Furnas village—a traditional stew of meat, cabbage, potatoes, and sausage cooked for hours using geothermal heat from volcanic earth beneath the ground.
- Where to stay
- Soak in thermal pools at Terra Nostra Park near Furnas. Water is rust-colored from iron minerals and maintained at 35°C, surrounded by botanical gardens planted over two centuries ago.
- Tip
- Visit Poça da Dona Beija for open-air bathing pools in the forest fed by underground geothermal heat, located near Furnas Valley.
- Tip
- Hike down to Lagoa do Fogo takes about 40 minutes; the climb back up is steep. The lake is part of Natura 2000 protected network with no buildings or roads on its shore.
- Tip
- Mount Pico summit hike is only 3.5 km long but rises over 1,100 meters straight up through volcanic scree and jagged basalt. Described as one of Europe's most grueling hikes.
- Tip
- Visit Vista do Rei or Boca do Inferno viewpoints at Sete Cidades to see the two crater lakes. Boca do Inferno is called the most dramatic lookout in the entire archipelago.
- Tip
- Descend 183 steps into Furna do Enxofre at Graciosa to see an underground lake in a vast cavern. The stairwell was built in the 1930s.
- Food
- Taste Queijo São Jorge, the most famous cheese in the Azores, made using methods dating back centuries and often served drizzled with local honey.
- Tip
- Swim at Poça Simão Dias on São Jorge's north shore—a natural pool set into black basalt columns formed by cooling ancient lava flows, with crystal clear water.
- Tip
- Visit Algar do Carvão on Terceira—an ancient volcanic chimney 90 meters deep draped in moss and stalactites, one of only a few volcanic chimneys open to the public worldwide.
- Tip
- See Cascata do Aveiro waterfall on Santa Maria's southeastern coast—110 meters tall, it is the tallest waterfall in all of Portugal.
- Food
- Visit Fajã dos Vimes on São Jorge to experience Europe's only artisanal coffee plantation, grown in Atlantic volcanic soil and roasted by the Nunes family.
Video on this route
The Azores Islands: Europe's Secret Volcanic Eden | 4K Travel Documentary