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São Miguel
São Miguel (Saint Michael) is
a lush green hilly island and its called “Ilha Verde”
(Green Island). It is the largest (759 km2; 293 sq mi)
and most populous island of the Azores. It has around 145,000
inhabitants, some 40,000 of which live in its largest town Ponta
Delgada. Sao Miguel is a good starting point for island hopping,
as it has ferry and flight connections to most other islands in
the archipelago.
São Miguel is 90 km
from east to west, and between 8 and 15 km wide. It is largely
covered with fields and meadows in the lowlands, and laurisilva forests
in the hills. Geysers and hot springs (caldeiras) are
spread over the island. São Miguel has three stratovolcanoes and
caldeiras: Sete Cidades, Fogo and Furnas. These beautiful volcanic
masses are connected between the alignments of the cone-like mass
that are made up of peaks.
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Ponta Delgada, the capital
of the Azores with more then fifty thousend inhabitants,
is the economic and cultural center. It has a large marina,
the university of the Azores and offers architectonial
highlights. Of course hotels, bars and restaurants are
present, but not as much as one might expect. Also the
regional government is seated in Ponta Delgada.
São Miguel diverse
scenery has a lot to offer. The coast is varied with
(black) sandy beaches and steeply rising cliffs. Small
villages are spread through the island. The nature is
beautiful, and does encourage for tours and for walks.
In the summertime the landscape is full of flowers.
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São Miguel Highlights
Villages and Culture
- Ponta Delgada: Avenida
Infante Dom Henrique, Portas da Cidade, Largo de Goncalo Velho
Cabral, Igreja de Sao Jose, the marina, Igreja Matriz de Sao
Sebastiao
- Ribeira Grande: church of Igreja Matriz
de Nossa Senhora da Estrela, city hall, library and the urban
swimming pools
- Nordeste (Northeast): city hall, turist office,
botanical garden, Ponta do Arnel
- Lagoa: churches of Igreja
Matriz, Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosario and Ermida de Nossa
Senhora do Cabo, the city hall, the musea Lagoa and the city
ceramics.
- Vila
Franca do Campo: first main capital of Sao Miguel. Igreja
da Misericordia, Igreja de Sao Pedro, City Hall, Forte do
Tagarete, Ilheu de Vila Franca DO Campo, Aquapark
Nature
- Sete Cidades: twin lakes, more info below
- Cha
da Marcela: a forest park in the distric of Lagoa
- Pico da Vara: the highest mountain on the island
(1105m)
- Lagoa do Fogo (Fire Lake): beautiful vulcano lake
which is often hidden by clouds
- Lagoa de Santiago: small lake near Sete Cidades
- Furnas: Furnas lake, 22 Caldeiras (Hot Springs
) and Terra Nostra Park: beautiful botanical park in São
Miguel . It has a pool with thermal water
- Lomda da Fazenda: Parque
with endemic plan
Sete
Cidades ("Seven Cities")
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Sete Cidades is one of the most beautiful
natural settings in the Azores,
composed of two lakes in the center of a volcanic crater
about three miles across. Located on the west side of São
Miguel Island, it is the most popular national park
in the islands. This volcano is one of the most active in
the Azores in the last 5,000 years. From Visto do Rei you
will have a beautiful view over the lakes.
Looking from
the edge of the crater to the lakes some 500 m (1,500 ft)
below, one lake looks blue (reflecting the sky) and is called
Lagoa Azul and the other appears green (reflecting the ground)
and is named Lagoa
Verde. According to a sete citades legend, the differently
coloured lakes were created when a princess and her lover,
a young shepherd. The King didn’t approve the romance of
his daughter and they had to part from each other. The
tears they shed at their farewell became the two lakes,
with the water coloured like their eyes.
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