São Miguel (Azores) - São Miguel (Azzorre)

South coast

• Ponta Delgada - Located on the south-west stretch of coast, Ponta Delgada is a city of about 70,000 inhabitants (year 2011). In its immediate vicinity is the John Paul II International Airport with flights (seasonal) from various European airports.
• Caloura - Town on a high and tormented cliff with hotels.
• Faial da Terra - Picturesque seaside village east of Povoaçao.
• Furnas - Passed Vila Franca do Campo, the road departs from the coast and reaches Furnas, in a valley surrounded by dense woods. Furnas is a popular holiday resort as well as a spa that takes advantage of the numerous hot springs in the surrounding area. Furnas has its own seaport, Ribeira Quente with less than 800 inhabitants and on a stretch of coast that is still virgin.
• Lagoa - About twenty kilometers to the east of the capital is Lagoa, a town of 15,000 inhabitants. The regional road n. 52 branches off from the town and goes inland towards Ribeira Grande, touching after about thirty km Lagoa do Fogo, inside a crater whose walls are covered with luxuriant vegetation. Not to be missed is the walk (on foot for a short distance) to the so-called hot water source Caldeira Velha where bathing is an extremely pleasant experience.
• Povoaçao - 10 km from Furnas, Povoaçao is a coastal village with 16th century churches and buildings.
• Vila Franca do Campo - Continuing east along the coast you will find Vila Franca do Campo, the capital of the island until 1522, the year in which it was destroyed by a violent earthquake. Its coastline is dotted with volcanic islets including Ilhéu de Vila Franca whose walls have assumed imaginative shapes due to marine erosion. At its center is a crater occupied by a perfectly circular lake.

North coast

• 37.8336-25.14671 Northeast - After Faial da Terra the road climbs inland presenting numerous hairpin bends and offering beautiful views of the short stretch of steep and lonely east coast. You must stop at the viewpoints (miradouro) of Ponta de Madrugada and Salto da Farinha (near Pedreira), renowned for the spectacle of the sun rising from the ocean waters. Nordeste is a village of about 5,000 inhabitants with some hotels although there are not many tourists due to the remote location of the village. Nordeste is characterized by very green surroundings and is the ideal base for excursions to the nearby Serra da Tronqueira and Pico da Vara which with its 1,105 m. it is the highest peak on São Miguel.
• 37.8231-25.52152 Ribeira Grande - From the village of Northeast up to Ribeira Grande there are about 60 km of a difficult winding road. The villages of Santana (with a petrol pump), Salga and São Brás all with viewpoints on a high and steep coast. Ribeira Grande is a picturesque town on a plateau that slopes gently to the ocean. It is the base for excursions to the Caldeiras da Ribeira Grande, the Vale das Lombadas and the Lagoa do Fogo mentioned above.

Northwest

• 37.893-25.81953 Mosteiros - Fishing village (about 1000 souls) 15 km from Sete Cidades. Surrounded by sand and dark pebble beaches, Mosteiros is quite popular in the summer due to the ease of finding accommodation with private individuals.

• 37.8619-25.79331 Lagoa das Sete Cidades - The main attraction in the northwest of São Miguel is Lagoa das Sete Cidades, a crater of 12 km in diameter and occupied by two twin lakes, Lagoa Verde and Lagoa Azul, separated from each other by a thin strip of land where the road from Ponta Delgada (23 km). Before even reaching the crater the road skirts the Pico do Carvão with views that sweep both the north and south coasts.