By Azores Tourist · Published 2026-10-24

Sete Cidades: viewpoints, village and which walk to choose

Plan a viewpoint visit or a one-way crater walk, arrange your return and avoid the currently closed Mata do Canário trail.

A viewpoint visit or a walking day?

For a first visit to Sete Cidades, combine Vista do Rei with time in the village beside Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Verde. You do not need to hike the crater rim to see the lakes. Choose the PR03SMI walk only if you want a two-hour one-way route and have arranged transport between its separate start and finish. Do not use Mata do Canário PR04SMI as the longer alternative for now: the official trail page and closure list both marked it closed when checked on 24 October 2026. That closure is specific to the numbered trail; it does not, by itself, establish that every nearby viewpoint or road is closed.

Azores Trails: current closure list

Where to go: Vista do Rei, Grota do Inferno and the village

Vista do Rei looks across the twin lakes and is the straightforward choice if the priority is the familiar overview rather than a long walk. The village and lakeshore are down inside the crater, so treat them as a separate stop, not a stroll from the viewpoint car park. São Nicolau church is also the finishing point of the official Vista do Rei walking route. Grota do Inferno is a different viewpoint in the Lagoa do Canário area. The current Serra Devassa route description includes it, with views of the Blue, Santiago and Rasa lakes. Do not confuse visiting that area with permission to follow the closed PR04SMI route. Use current signs and the official map, and do not cross a barrier for a photograph. If cloud hides the rim, time beside the lakes may still be worthwhile, but it cannot supply the overhead panorama. Keep the west-island day movable within your stay rather than committing all lake viewpoints to an inflexible first morning.

Visit Azores: São Miguel geography

Vista do Rei to Sete Cidades: PR03SMI

Azores Trails lists this as a 7.5 km linear walk, graded easy, with a two-hour average. It starts at Vista do Rei, follows the southwestern crater ridge and finishes beside São Nicolau church in Sete Cidades. Those figures describe the one-way walk, excluding a return journey, stops and any detour. The route reaches a road where an optional detour leads towards Lomba do Vasco and its west-coast view. Follow the marked PR03SMI onward towards the village. The authority specifically warns that the Arrebentões descent is steep and slippery. An easy classification does not mean a paved or step-free promenade. Arrange a taxi or other confirmed transfer between the village and Vista do Rei before starting. A useful arrangement is to leave your vehicle at the finish and take the transfer to the start, so the walk ends at your car. If you cannot arrange the transfer, choose a shorter visit or a suitable circular route instead; do not assume an unverified bus will return you to a remote parking place.

Azores Trails: Vista do Rei PR03SMI

Serra Devassa is a different, circular option

For a walk that returns to its starting area, the current PRC05SMI Serra Devassa listing gives 9.1 km, medium difficulty and 3 hours 30 minutes. It starts near Muro do Carvão, part of the old aqueduct, and includes upland lakes and Pico das Éguas. The current description also includes Lagoa do Canário and Grota do Inferno. Use the current map and leaflet rather than treating an older short-loop description as the full official route. This is a substantial upland outing, not a quick extra after the one-way Vista do Rei walk. Choose one main hike for the day and leave time for access, food and changing conditions.

Azores Trails: current Serra Devassa route

A practical west-island day

With your own transport or an arranged driver, visit Vista do Rei first if visibility is useful, then descend to Sete Cidades village for the lakeshore and lunch. Add a west-coast stop at Mosteiros if you have time. This is an editorial sequence, not a timed excursion or a promise of clear weather. If you choose PR03SMI, make that walk and its return transfer the centre of the day. If you choose Serra Devassa, allow its longer walking block and shorten the other stops. Do not schedule both full walks, a full village visit and an east-island excursion on the same day. A guided visit without a rental car is useful when it includes the stops you actually want. A sightseeing tour with a brief viewpoint stop is not interchangeable with a guided hike; compare the walking distance and finish transfer before booking.

Before setting out

Reopen the official closure list on the day of a hike. Carry water, layers, rain protection and a downloaded route map; the trail authority warns that mobile coverage can be absent. Stay on marked paths and abandon a ridge walk if wind, visibility or footing makes it unsuitable. In an emergency call 112 and give the last numbered trail post if known. This guide does not quote a parking tariff, bus timetable or transfer price because none was qualified for a specific travel date. Cost the transport you actually need, especially a one-way walking transfer, rather than interpreting an unpriced route as a transport-inclusive outing.

Azores Trails: safety and conduct