Are you planning a trip to the Azores? Then you’ll likely be stopping on Sao Miguel Island! As the largest island in the Azores, Sao Miguel is a popular destination for travelers visiting Portugal from around the world. Here’s our favorite things to do in Sao Miguel, money-saving tips, and all about our own experience!
9 Tips For Sao Miguel Island in the Azores
1. Take a Free Europe Layover
First of all, you should know that Sao Miguel is the largest of the Azores Island grouping. While it’s technically part of Portugal, it’s located a staggering 1,500 km away from the mainland!
This means you’re still about a 5 hour flight away from big cities like Boston and New York. From there, it will be another 4 hours to get to the capital of Lisbon.
This makes Sao Miguel Island a perfect layover destination en route to somewhere else in Europe.
During our visit, SATA Airlines was offering a free multi-day stopover as part of their routes. Originally traveling from Boston to Maderia, Portugal, we were able to add on 4 days to our trip! We made a fun stop in Sao Miguel Azores without having to pay more for a second flight.
Always check Skyscanner for cheap flights when planning your journey. It allows you to compare rates and companies to find the best prices. This is how we’ve found almost all of our flights over the years.
2. Time of Year to Go to Sao Miguel
One nice thing about the Azores is that you can visit year-round. However, for the best weather, you’ll want to go between June and September.
This is when Sao Miguel Island will be its warmest and you can fully enjoy the beautiful hikes, beaches, and natural pools. Just know that the summer season is also the most expensive and popular time to visit.
For this reason, we really enjoy traveling in Europe during the swing season. Months like May and October will still be warm enough, and with far less travelers.
If you visit in the winter don’t expect snow in the Azores. Yet, it will likely be very cold and windy.
Our first trip to Sao Miguel in the Azores was in early November. This time of year definitely brought showers and cooler temperatures. As you’ll see soon though, it was the perfect time to go to the Sao Miguel thermal baths!
3. Rent a Car From Airport
One of the best Sao Miguel tips for your visit is to rent a car. This is the largest island in the Azores after all!
Many of the best attractions are spread out around Sao Miguel, with the capital being Ponta Delgada. Unless you just have a short layover, you’re going to want to get out and see as much as possible.
The easiest way to do this to pick up your rental directly from the airport when you land. Not only will this be the simplest process, but it’s usually cheaper than getting it at the smaller branches after you leave.
We always use this website to find amazing rental deals in Europe. By traveling in off-season, we only paid 10 Euros per day for our vehicle!
We found the roads to be really well maintained and easy to get around. There are “main” roads that loop the island that will be a breeze. Still, know that it can get a little more challenging to drive if you want to get adventurous.
On the island’s smaller, less-traveled roads, you can expect lots of twists and turns, as well as unpaved areas. Really, it just depends on what you are trying to see during your visit.
4. Stay Outside of Ponta Delgada
Renting a car at the airport will also allow you to stay anywhere around the island. The big city of Ponta Delgada is certainly worth seeing on your holiday.
Nevertheless, we found the nature and small villages of Sao Miguel in the Azores to be our favorite part! We ended up finding an Airbnb in the town of Ribeira Grande.
Honestly, we loved the town, but our accommodation wasn’t amazing. We were traveling with a large group so an Airbnb made sense. If we went back, would look into more highly-rated accommodations like A Casa da Cascata.
Ribeira Grande was an ideal location near the beaches and thermal spas, while still not being too far from Ponta Delgada. Even though it is a big island, nothing felt too long of a drive away.
One day we even circled Sao Miguel Island in its entirety! Some other cool towns to consider staying in are Furnas, Vila Franca do Campo, and Sete Cidades. As long as you have a car, you’ll be fine with practically anywhere as your home base.
5. Soak at the Sao Miguel Thermal Spas
Now that you know some of our most helpful Sao Miguel tips, it’s time to get into the amazing attractions. The #1 highlight of the Azores for us was definitely the thermals.
We’ve been to our fair share around Europe, from the fine spas of Germany to the authentic Turkish baths of Budapest Hungary. Yet, the ones we would see in the Azores are so unique!
The outdoor baths combine the nature of Sao Miguel Island, to create a beautiful oasis for soaking. One of our favorite spots was at Caldeira Velha in Furnas.
Unfortunately, some of the other popular thermals such as Terra Nostra Garden Hotel were closed for renovations. This is a downside you should be aware of visiting in offseason.
Nonetheless, we did find some more smaller thermal spas dotted around Sao Miguel Azores. They were definitely more local, but good for a short soak when needed.
- Poca da Dona Beija (Our Favorite)
- Parque Terra Nostra
- Caldeira Velha
- Ponta da Ferraria (Low Tide Only)
Sao Miguel Tip: Remember to book ahead in high season at the most popular Azores thermals.
6. Try the Local Specialities
If you weren’t already aware, the Azores are known for their amazing food! Sao Miguel in particular boasts an incredible array of seafood, meat dishes, and soups to try on your visit.
One famous meal to try is the delicious Portuguese soup called cozido. If you can believe it, the most traditional way to cook this is underground!
Cozido das Furnas is cooked by putting a pot in the earth for up to 6 hours. It’s heated by volcanic steam in a similar way to the thermal spas are. We had our first taste of this amazing dish at Restaurante Tony’s in Furnas.
For meat lovers, you’ll definitely want to taste the steak on Sao Miguel. The grass-fed beef is second to none on the island and throughout the Azores. We had the best steak of our trip at Restaurante Associação Agrícola de São Miguel.
Seafood is abundant and you’ll have your choice of fresh fish. We loved the barracuda, grouper, and limpets. Also, be sure to try the tuna, which is known as some of the best in the world!
Another spot we loved for a casual lunch is called Restaurante Faria in Ribeira Grande. As far as fruits go, Sao Miguel has all things Pineapple. We recommend trying the unique pineapple wine and liquor if you get a chance!
We also enjoyed hitting the local markets for bakery treats, cheeses, and so much more. We happened to get to town just as the Ribeira Grande morning Thursday market was starting up, which made for a fun experience.
7. Swim at the Beaches & Natural Pools
Sao Miguel Island may be known for its thermal pools, but there are plenty of stunning beaches to fall in love with as well! Keep in mind that these aren’t all the golden sand beaches like you’d see on the Alrgave Coast in Lagos Portugal.
They’re more rustic and scenic, ranging from rocky coves to volcanic black sand beaches. Some will also take a long drive or hike to get to.
A few of our favorites are Praia do Areal de Santa Bárbara and Praia do Pópulo. With that said, we can say we enjoyed the natural pools almost as much as the beaches!
Most of the natural pools we visited were on the west coast of the island. If you do a drive to this area, you can easily visit Ponta da Ferraria and Piscinas Naturais “Caneiros”.
Pay extra attention to the tides when planning your day at the Sao Miguel natural pools. We didn’t even get in the water at a couple of places, as the waves were crashing in and out against the rocks.
Ponta da Ferraria specifically has to be visited at low tide if you want to swim, so plan accordingly.
Caneiros was one of our favorite natural pools. There is also a small cafe overlooking it to grab a drink or snack and relax after your swim.
8. Visit the Tea Plantations
Did you know Sao Miguel is the tea capital of Europe? We wanted to mention the tea in our food section, but it really deserves its own place on this list.
They’ve been growing tea for around 200 years in the Azores and have certainly perfected the craft. Although only two of the original tea factories remain, they’re still producing dozens of tons a year to the U.S. and all over Europe.
Porto Formoso and Gorreana Tea Factories are located right near each other. You can even walk the fields of Porto Formoso, visit their museum, and grab a tea at their cafe.
9. Go Hiking in Sao Miguel Azores
We hope you saved some energy for the end of our article! One of the best things to do in Sao Miguel is to go hiking.
The various paths around the island will take you to epic lookouts, hot springs, and waterfalls. The best part is there are both short hikes for beginners and difficult ones for the more advanced.
There are over 100 hikes all over the island, so what one is best really depends on your personal preference. Some of the most famous hikes include Lagoa do Fogo, Sanguine trail to Prego Waterfall, and Lagoa das Furnas. A great place to start looking is the app All Trails, which can guide to almost all the hikes around Sao Miguel.
Not up for a hike? Well, don’t worry. There are so many glorious viewpoints to check out just off the main roads. This is yet another reason why renting a car is such a great idea on Sao Miguel!
Have any questions about this article or want to share your favorite things to do in Sao Miguel Azores? Leave us a comment below!
Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake
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We’re Brigitte and Jake! American travel bloggers currently based in Spain. If you can believe it, we started Nothing Familiar way back in 2015 on an Ipad in the Ecuadorian jungle. Ever since, we haven’t stopped traveling! We’ve now been to over 60 countries around the world, with our expertise being Europe and Southeast Asia. We love outdoor adventures, tasting local specialties, and island hopping through tropical destinations. Hopefully, our guides and authentic experiences will inspire you on your own travels!
