My Top Three Hikes in São Miguel

This interesting trail has no shortage of surprises along the way. You park at the base of the road to Lagoa Do Fogo. After walking along some farmers fields and being greeted by many “moo’s” you happen upon the first of many spooky tunnels. You traverse through a lush green forest, under and on top of man made arches, as well as some pipes and other interesting structures. The trail culminates with the Janela do Inferno (hell’s window in english) which is pictured here. I felt like the subject in some kind of adventure movie on this hike, its beauty reminiscent of something once seen on a screen.

This hike begins like many in the Azores, wandering through lush green forests, with a few pals of the Chicken variety along the way. Eventually, you happen upon the beautiful Salto Do Prego waterfall, which you can get a view of from both below and above. This is a great place to stop for a snack, or maybe even a swim in the summer. Continuing on the trail, you will reach the village of Sanguinho which seems to appear out of nowhere in the forest. It’s previous inhabitants abandoned this unique settlement in the 70’s in search of a better life. Nowadays, it is being redeveloped as a very unique tourist accommodation. After petting the resident cats, you continue down a steep and winding cobblestone path, taking in the sprawling views of Faial De Terra and the Atlantic Ocean.

You are rewarded with this beautiful double waterfall after a short 15 minute walk down from the parking lot. After taking it in, notice the set of small and steep stairs to the right of the waterfall. If you are brave enough to climb these, you will discover a pipeline bridge that gives stunning views of the waterfall from the top. This one isn’t great for those with a fear of heights!