São Miguel Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
São Miguel is one of the largest islands of the Azores, Portugal.
Contents |
Cities
- Ponta Delgada (pop ~50,000). This is the main city, and where the airport is. The city has a quite small city centre and a harbour, but newer parts of the city are expanding.
Understand
São Miguel doesn't have a lot of "beaches"; much of the shore is rough cliffs. Around the eastern edge, it is especially steep. As an Atlantic island, São Miguel can have heavy weather.
São Miguel has a moderate coastal climate, with fog, rain and not very hot summer temperatures. It is very humid and green.
Get in
São Miguel is accessed from the other world by flying to the airport of Ponta Delgada.
Get around
Renting a car at the airport is one of the best ways to explore and get around the island. Sao Miguel is small enough to drive around in a day, and there is much to see that is only accessed by car.
You can also travel between the larger towns by bus.
See
São Miguel has several calderas, and hot springs can be found scattered over the island; mostly in the middle highlands.
In the west there is a caldera and volcano crater that is almost filled by the beautiful Sete Cidades twin seas and the town of Sete Cidades. Steep mountain walls surrounds the lakes, one is azure blue, the other is greyish, and this is explained in a local myth.
Do
There are some marked hiking trails on the island, for example in and around the Sete Cidades caldera. These are usually one-day trails that any beginner hiker can enjoy. Organised whale- and dolphin-watching from small boats operating out of Ponta Delgada is increasingly popular with tourists.
Eat
Drink
Stay safe
Get out
The other Azores islands can be accessed by boat from São Miguel.
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