As a local, I’ve driven the road up to Sete Cidades hundreds of times and it still amazes me. The moment the caldera opens up, you see the largest lagoon in the Azores, also known as the green and blue or twin lakes, the village just there, the whole scene cupped inside a dormant volcano… nobody in the van says a word, just stares and gasps. That moment is why I built the West Coast tour.

• Start by driving up to the caldera's wall through a inner road of the island, stop by a viewpoint to see both north and south coastlines and the vast hills and volcanic formations along São Miguel.

• Check the old roman style aqueducts that were used to carry fresh water among western villages since the XVI century, Ponta Delgada was also fed through this infrastructure up until the beginning of the XX century. Check on the popular Nine Windows Wall and the gate, some say, to Narnia!

• Visit a secluded lagoon surrounded by trees, the Lagoa do Canário can be contemplated only from a few access points. Take a moderate walk through this natural park up until a viewpoint where one can contemplate some of the valleys formed around the Sete Cidades lagoon and the lagoon itself.

• Admire the vastness of the Sete Cidades lagoon from high above (commonly known as twin lakes or blue and green lakes, but in reality it's one massive water body)!

• Descend into the caldera, contemplating the hydrangeas lush bushes along the way, discover the Santiago lagoon from up above.

• For lunch, indulge your tasting buds with our regional style food, you’ll have options of meat, fish and vegetarian in this buffet of traditionally made local food. (Starter, Main Course, Drink, Dessert and Coffee included)

• We'll take a short walk by the peninsula that stands through the Blue Lagoon, a nice quiet moment that will boost an authentic connection to the local ecosystem. Observe the local wildlife and seasonal flora, admire the crater from its inside. It will also be a great help for our digestion.

• Reach the top of a cliff on the westernmost point of São Miguel to appreciate the views of Mosteiros and its islets, learn about the storey of the missing Azorean island.

• Descend into Mosteiros, the westernmost village of São Miguel, to walk on its beach with an unique perspective on the islets. Admire also its vast basaltic coast where natural pools formed by lava flows can be found. (The bottom of the sea at this beach is rock abundant, entering the water involves risky manoeuvring, we do not recommend baths here.)

• Mosteiros is one of the most unusual swimming spots on the island. Admire a vast magnificent coastline of basaltic rock, lava flows formed this area hundreds of years ago, with the swells from the Atlantic ocean, different holes pop where one can go to refresh himself. Your guide will know which pools are accessible.