Wanderings: São Miguel eastern lakes

February 17, 2020

If you have ever seen a picture of the Azores, it was probably taken from Boca do Inferno, overlooking the volcanic lakes on the west side of São Miguel.

On the way up, we stopped at a pineapple plantation. My wife asked someone she thought was an employee about the growing process. It was not an employee, but a tour guide waiting for her busload of tourists. She was more than happy to show us around and give her spiel. Pineapples are grown in greenhouses in the Azores, including a process called smoking that encourages more rapid growth. The practice started when an emoyee accidentally left a cigar behind.

Driving up to the lakes, we saw a trail head, so we stopped and went for a hike. We first arrived at the Empadadas Lakes, two mountain tarns. Our climb resumed until we reached Pico do Paul in a moderate rain. We were below the cloud cover, and the view was fine.

As in the east of the island, there are a number of road-side vistas overlooking Os Lagos Verde y Azul (the green and blue lakes), including the Vista do Rei. We enjoyed the view and the colorful Azorean finches flitting about.

At a viewpoint closer to the lakes, we saw the distinctive yellow/orange color of kayaks in Sete Cidades, the town by the lakes. Upon enquiring at the boat livery, we were disappointed to discover they had a tour bus coming, so no boats were available. We did pick up some post cards. Unfortunately, they had no stamps at the post office.

The Boca do Inferno viewpoint requires a relatively flat hike through the woods. The views were definitely worth the effort and the other people there (mainly from Germany) were a convivial group.

We drove down down and then back up the other side of the volcanic crater to the east coast town of Mosteiros, where an angry sea was rolling in from the northwest. We enjoyed the sunset view (and a local liqueur from a café truck) at a cliff-side overlook.