The Azores (Açores) are a chain of nine volcanic islands scattered across the mid-Atlantic, roughly 1,400 km west of mainland Portugal. Known for crater lakes, dramatic sea cliffs, thermal springs, and green pastureland, the archipelago offers whale watching, hiking, and diving in a landscape often compared to Ireland and Hawaii combined. Ponta Delgada, on São Miguel, is the archipelago's largest city and main gateway.
Top day trips
Handpicked excursions within easy reach.
Sete Cidades Twin Crater Lakes
A vast volcanic caldera holds two adjoining crater lakes - one green, one blue - separated by a narrow causeway, ringed by hydrangea hedges and pastureland. The Vista do Rei viewpoint above the rim gives the classic postcard panorama, while the village of Sete Cidades sits down at lake level for a closer look.
Highlights: Vista do Rei viewpoint over the twin green and blue crater lakes · Village of Sete Cidades sitting directly between Lagoa Verde and Lagoa Azul · Hydrangea-lined crater roads in bloom from May to September · Crater rim walking trail from Vista do Rei to Miradouro do Cerrado das Freiras · Causeway walk between the two lakes
Furnas Valley, Hot Springs & Cozido
Furnas sits inside another volcanic caldera, its village streets steaming with sulfurous fumaroles used to slow-cook the traditional cozido das Furnas stew underground. The iron-rich thermal pools of Poça da Dona Beija and the botanical gardens of Terra Nostra Park, with its warm orange thermal swimming pool, round out one of São Miguel's richest days out.
Highlights: Cozido das Furnas stew cooked underground using volcanic heat · Poça da Dona Beija iron-rich thermal pools · Terra Nostra Park's botanical gardens and orange-tinted thermal pool · Bubbling fumarole field in the village center · Miradouro views over Lagoa das Furnas
Ilhéu de Vila Franca do Campo Boat Trip
A tiny, almost perfectly circular islet just offshore from Vila Franca do Campo, formed by a flooded volcanic crater that creates a sheltered natural lagoon. Boat trips ferry visitors out to swim, snorkel, and sunbathe inside the crater rim during the summer season, when access is regulated to protect nesting seabirds.
Highlights: Swimming and snorkeling inside the flooded volcanic crater lagoon · Boat or kayak crossing from Vila Franca do Campo marina · Seabird nesting cliffs around the islet's rim · Coastal promenade and seafood restaurants in Vila Franca do Campo · Clear, sheltered water protected from the open Atlantic swell
Lagoa do Fogo Hike & Viewpoint
Lagoa do Fogo, the 'Lake of Fire', fills a high volcanic crater at the island's center and is protected as a nature reserve with no lakeside development. A steep trail descends from the rim to a small beach at the water's edge, while the clifftop viewpoint alone rewards the drive with sweeping views over the pine- and heather-covered crater.
Highlights: Clifftop viewpoint over São Miguel's highest and most pristine crater lake · Steep trail descending to a secluded beach at the lake's edge · Protected nature reserve with pine- and heather-covered crater slopes · No lakeside development, keeping the setting untouched
Faial-Pico Ferry Crossing & Pico Wine Country
One of the classic 'Triangle Islands' crossings, this short ferry hop swaps Faial's marina town for Pico's dramatic landscape, dominated by Portugal's highest peak and a UNESCO-listed patchwork of black basalt vineyard walls (currais) built to shelter vines from Atlantic winds. Wine tastings, whaling-history museums, and views of Pico's often cloud-wrapped summit fill a full day.
Highlights: Atlânticoline ferry crossing between Faial and Pico · UNESCO-listed black basalt vineyard walls (currais) · Wine tastings of local Verdelho at Pico wineries and the Museu do Vinho · Views of Montanha do Pico, Portugal's highest peak · Whaling-history exhibits in Lajes do Pico
São Jorge Fajãs Day Trip from Faial or Pico
São Jorge is a long, narrow, high-cliffed island famous for its fajãs, flat patches of land formed by lava flows or landslides at the base of dramatic sea cliffs, several of them home to tiny communities, natural pools, and vineyards. Fajã dos Cubres and Fajã da Caldeira do Santo Cristo are the most celebrated, reached by steep roads or hiking trails.
Highlights: Fajã dos Cubres and Fajã da Caldeira do Santo Cristo lava-delta communities · Swimming in the natural lagoon at Fajã de Santo Cristo · Steep cliff-edge switchback roads with dramatic sea views · São Jorge's cured cheese and grilled fish in Velas · Vineyards and small farming communities built on the fajãs
Terceira Island Flight Day Trip from São Miguel
A same-day flight swaps São Miguel for Terceira's colorful, UNESCO-listed old town of Angra do Heroísmo, with its Baroque churches and hilltop fortress of Monte Brasil, and the extraordinary Algar do Carvão volcanic chimney, where a walkway descends nearly 100 meters into a cave lined with stalactites and a crystal-clear pool.
Highlights: UNESCO-listed old town of Angra do Heroísmo · Algar do Carvão volcanic cave with a stalactite-lined walkway · Monte Brasil hilltop fortress and harbor views · Alcatra beef stew and fresh seafood in Angra · Serra do Cume viewpoint over stone-walled pastureland
Santa Maria Flight Day Trip from São Miguel
The Azores' oldest and southernmost island, Santa Maria is drier and sunnier than the rest of the archipelago and is home to the region's only true golden-sand beach, Praia de São Lourenço, framed by stepped vineyard terraces. Vila do Porto's colonial-era streets and the striking red-and-white sand cliffs near Ponta do Castelo round out a quieter, sun-drenched contrast to the greener central islands.
Highlights: Praia de São Lourenço, the Azores' only true golden-sand beach · Terraced vineyard walls framing the amphitheater-shaped bay · Vila do Porto's colonial-era streets and harbor fort · Red-and-white sand cliffs near Ponta do Castelo · Santa Maria's drier, sunnier climate compared to the rest of the archipelago
Trips by distance
How far you can go in a day.
Getting there
Transport options for day trips.
- Tours
- Organized minivan day tours from Ponta Delgada to Sete Cidades or Furnas from around EUR 55-75 per person (about USD 59-81), including transport and a guide
- Private
- Private driver/guide hire from around EUR 200-280 per day (about USD 216-302) for a full-island circuit; useful for visitors without a rental car
- Public
- AVM buses reach Sete Cidades, Furnas, and Nordeste from Ponta Delgada, but schedules are infrequent and impractical for combining multiple stops in one day
- Rental
- Car rental from around EUR 35-70/day (about USD 38-75.50); by far the easiest way to string together crater lakes, viewpoints, and villages on any island
Day trip tips
Make the most of your excursions.
Inter-island flights with Azores Airlines are the backbone of multi-island day trips - book ahead in July-August and always allow a buffer for weather delays
The Faial-Pico-São Jorge 'Triangle Islands' are the one cluster connected by frequent ferry rather than flight - the Blue Line crossing to Pico is quick, cheap, and scenic
A rental car is essential for São Miguel's crater-lake circuit (Sete Cidades, Lagoa do Fogo, Furnas) since public buses run too infrequently to combine multiple stops
Fog and cloud regularly close in on the higher viewpoints (Sete Cidades rim, Lagoa do Fogo, Pico summit) by midday - visit these first thing in the morning
Check Atlânticoline and Azores Airlines schedules the day before travel - both are weather-dependent and subject to short-notice changes