Lagoa do Fogo: down to the crater lake

São Miguel has two great crater lakes. Everyone knows Sete Cidades from the photos — the Lagoa do Fogo is its quieter sister: no village on the shore, no road, no café. Just water, pale sandbanks and green crater walls all around. It sits right in the middle of the island in the nature reserve of the Água de Pau massif, and for many of our guests it ends up being the best day of the trip.

First, the view from above

The road over the Pico da Barrosa runs along the crater rim, and there are several places where you can pull over and simply look down: the whole lake at once, the Atlantic behind it. From Casa de Sonho it’s about 45 minutes — head towards Ribeira Grande, then up the mountain road.

And then down

A path leads from the northern rim down to the shore. It’s easy to find, but steep and loose underfoot in places — proper shoes are essential, sandals are not. Going down takes around 20 to 30 minutes; for the way back up we always allow twice that.

At the bottom you’ll find a pale sandy beach that shelves very gently. Swimming is an experience, but don’t get your hopes up: even in high summer the water is properly cold. There’s no kiosk and no shade, up top or down below — water, sunscreen and something to eat belong in your backpack.

Our tips

Go in the morning. The crater rim likes to gather clouds from midday onwards, even while the sun is shining down in Mosteiros. A quick look at the webcams on spotazores.com over breakfast saves you a wasted drive.
Being early pays twice. The parking bays along the road fill up quickly in July and August.
Bring a layer. There’s almost always a wind up on the ridge, even when it’s 25 degrees down in the valley. Keep a light jacket in the car.
Combine it well: the Caldeira Velha lies on the same route towards Ribeira Grande — warm spring water after the cold lake is exactly the right order.

If you like taking the island slowly, make a whole day of it: the lake in the morning, a pineapple plantation or tea factory near Ribeira Grande at midday, and in the evening back to the garden at Casa de Sonho to watch the sun sink behind the Ilhéus.

Here you can see when the house is free.

Frank, Bärbel, Maren & Simon