Sete Cidades, Azores

Do not miss exploring the city of Sete Cidades and its lakes on your way through São Miguel Island, Azores

Sete Cidades, Azores
© Gustav

Sete Cidades is one of the real jewels of the Azores Archipelago, This magnificent city, located by the shore of the Azul Lake, in the bottom of a volcanic crater placed in the Western part of São Miguel Island, is one of the must visit places to discover the lakes formed in the former mouths of this huge volcano.

Lagoa das Sete Cidades
© Bruno Cruz

Sete Cidades is one of the few nucleus which still preserves the traditional primitive Micaelan architecture. All of its houses just have one roof, are single, made of ashlar stones and with a gable roof, and the are ready to stand the seismic movements which eventually shake this area. The majority count with a garden, and many of them host on its back a little henhouse, a vegetable garden and a raised granary or palheiro.

Life here, despite the numerous travellers who come and go, is placid, and the tourism has not altered the rural environments.

At the beginning of the village is located the school and by the end the Romanesque Igreja de São Nicolau Church, preceded by the music stand.

A bit further is located the crater and two spectacular lakes (Verde Lake and Azul Lake) arranged with the shape of an eight. According to the story, they have this shape because of the sobbing of two lovers, a princess and a shepherd, which were forced to separate forever. Around this lake raises peaks between 440 and 850 metres.

The Verde Lake counts with 1,400 metres of circumference, a perimeter of 4 kilometres and a 905,064 mª area. From it a soil path extends to a bushy recreative area from which departs a pedestrian path which walks around the lake completely. It takes around 45 minutes to make the complete tour.

The Azul Lake is bigger, and counts with a perimeter of 8.5 kilometres, 1,400 metres wide, and an extension of 3,917.764 mª. Beside it was build a tunnel-overflow channel of 1,200 metres to evacuate part of the water of the 70 courses which flew water into it. Sometimes, it provoked huge floods, giving place to the Grota do Algueive and its waterfalls which flow its waters into the sea.

From the bridge you will find a soil path through which cars to to arrive to the residential area of the Cerrado das Freiras, which soon becomes in a road where you can go on a hiking route until you arrive to one of the projections which break the circularity of the lake.

Around two kilometres far from both lakes, and going through a signed tour, you arrive to the overlook above the Santiago Lake, a lake place in a deep circular crater, with slopes above the 200 metres, and surrounded by lush laurel and cryptomeria forests. There is a narrow steep road which descends through the forest to the shore of the lake, the lasting of the tour is around 35 minutes round trip.

From here departs a road which arriver to the Miradouro Cerrado Das Freiras Overlook, which also offers excellent views of the Azul Lake.

Rasa Lake is another little circular lak, which access is a little bit more complicated.

There are various legends regarding the name of the city. One of them tells that an eruption made disappear seven cities to avoid the greed of the sailors who came looking for wealth. Another, on the other hand, tells that the name of the city comes from seven bishops who, running away from the Arabs, they found a refuge in the “lost islands” and build up “seven cities”.

Something that can be assured is that the best place to discover this wonder of the Açores is the Miradouro da Vista do Rei Overlook, the most famous overlook of the island. From it you can see the verde and azul lakes, with the bridge which separates them since 1958, and all the crater which hosts them.

In the surroundings there are also minor lakes, such as the Canário Lake, accessible through a metallic door. You can visit it from 8:30 to 16:00 on Saturdays and Sunday, or from 10:00 to 19:00 from May to September. The enclosure also hosts a picnic area, and the Miradouro Grota do Inferno Overlook, which offer views over the major lakes. Another minor lakes you can visit in the area are Acueducto das Nove Janelas, Pau Piqué Lake, and Empadadas Lake.

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Sete Cidades, Azores

Do not miss exploring the city of Sete Cidades and its lakes on your way through São Miguel Island, Azores

São Miguel Island

What to see:

Azores:

Why "Portugal Travel"?

In collaboration with: