Azores: Caldeira Velha and Lagoa do Fogo

🚶 3 km · 📍 4 stops · ⏱ ~180 min

A half-day trip into the mountains between São Miguel's north and south coasts: the hot springs of Caldeira Velha, the Lagoa do Fogo viewpoint, an optional descent to the lake and the highest viewpoint in the range that you can drive to. WATCH THE ROAD: from 15 June to 30 September the road from Caldeira Velha past Lagoa do Fogo to Casa da Água is closed to visitors' cars while the shuttle bus is running. Only Azores residents, taxis and tour companies may drive it. The bus runs from roughly nine in the morning to seven or eight in the evening (the hours change from year to year – check lagoadofogo.pt), leaves Caldeira Velha every half hour and costs €5 for non-residents. If you want to drive up in your own car, go in the morning before the service starts or in the evening after it ends. TICKETS: Caldeira Velha tickets are sold online on the Azores Natural Parks website, at the latest the day before, for a set slot of an hour and a half. A full ticket with bathing costs €10, walking only €3. You drive between the stops; you only walk at Caldeira Velha and on the descent to the lake.