Dive into Nature’s Spa: The Magic of Ponta da Ferraria

Nestled in the heart of São Miguel Island in the Azores archipelago lies a natural wonder that seems plucked from a fairytale—Sete Cidades. Here, two magnificent lakes rest side by side in a volcanic crater, one gleaming with emerald splendor, the other radiating azure brilliance. This geological marvel has captivated travelers for centuries, drawing them into its mystical embrace with promises of otherworldly beauty and legendary tales. As you stand at the Vista do Rei viewpoint, gazing down at this chromatic spectacle, you’ll understand why Sete Cidades isn’t merely a destination but a transcendent experience that speaks to something primordial in the human spirit.

Where Twin Lakes Shimmer in Jewel-Toned Hues

The twin lakes of Sete Cidades present one of nature’s most mesmerizing optical illusions—two bodies of water, separated by a narrow bridge, displaying distinctly different colors that shimmer and shift with the changing light. Lagoa Verde (Green Lake) reflects the surrounding vegetation in its waters, creating a deep emerald hue that evokes the lushness of the Azorean landscape. Its twin, Lagoa Azul (Blue Lake), captures the vast expanse of the sky, resulting in a breathtaking azure shade that seems to hold pieces of the heavens within its depths. Together, they create a living painting that changes subtly throughout the day as clouds dance across the sun and winds ripple across their surfaces.

Local legend weaves a romantic tale around these chromatic twins—a forbidden love between a princess with eyes the color of the blue lake and a shepherd with eyes green as the verdant hills. When their love was denied, their tears of sorrow formed these two bodies of water, forever connected yet distinctly individual, much like the lovers themselves. While science explains the different colors through varying depths, algae concentrations, and light reflections, visitors often find the poetic explanation more fitting for a place that feels imbued with such palpable magic and emotional resonance.

The visual spectacle is best appreciated from several vantage points that surround the caldera. The King’s View (Vista do Rei) offers the most famous panorama, where the full majesty of the twin lakes unfolds before you like a three-dimensional postcard. More adventurous souls might hike along the crater rim, where each turn in the path reveals new perspectives on this color-shifting marvel. Photographers flock here at dawn and dusk, when the lakes take on golden and purple tinges that add yet another dimension to their already remarkable palette, creating images that seem almost too perfect to be real.

A Volcanic Paradise of Emerald and Azure Bliss

The geological history of Sete Cidades tells a story of magnificent destruction and rebirth. Approximately 22,000 years ago, a massive volcanic eruption collapsed inward, forming the 5-kilometer-wide caldera that cradles the lakes today. What was once a scene of primordial fury has transformed into a sanctuary of tranquility—a testament to nature’s ability to heal and create beauty from chaos. The volcanic soil surrounding the lakes nurtures a vibrant ecosystem, where endemic Azorean plants thrive in a microclimate protected by the crater walls, creating a verdant paradise that perfectly complements the jewel-toned waters.

Life around Sete Cidades moves at a pace dictated by nature rather than human schedules. The charming white-washed village that shares its name with the lakes sits at the base of the caldera, its church spire punctuating the landscape like an exclamation point. Here, local farmers tend to fertile fields, and fishermen occasionally cast lines into the lakes’ waters. Hydrangeas—the iconic flowers of the Azores—line the roads and hillsides in summer months, adding bursts of blue, purple, and pink to the already colorful panorama. This harmonious coexistence of human and natural elements creates a sense of timelessness that washes away the stresses of modern life.

Adventure awaits those willing to descend from the viewpoints into the heart of the crater. Kayaking across the lakes offers an entirely different perspective, where the waters’ colors seem even more vivid up close. Cycling along the shoreline paths provides a gentle way to circumnavigate these natural gems, while hiking trails of varying difficulties wind through forests of Japanese cedar and endemic laurel. For those seeking contemplation, numerous secluded spots invite visitors to simply sit and absorb the serenity—perhaps to ponder how a place born of such violent geological forces can radiate such profound peace and harmony.

As the sun begins its descent over Sete Cidades, casting long shadows across the twin lakes, visitors often find themselves reluctant to leave this enchanted landscape. The emerald and azure twins have a way of etching themselves into memory—not just as a visual spectacle but as an emotional experience that reconnects us with the wonder of our planet. Whether you came seeking photography opportunities, hiking adventures, or simply a moment of tranquility, Sete Cidades offers a reminder that some of Earth’s most magical places aren’t fantasy but reality—geological poetry written in water, light, and volcanic stone. As you depart, carrying images of those jewel-toned waters in your mind, you’ll understand why travelers throughout history have struggled to describe this place without resorting to language usually reserved for dreams and fairytales. For in Sete Cidades, the boundary between earthly beauty and magic dissolves, leaving only wonder in its wake.

The genera Calonectris subdivide in four species: Calonectris leucomelas, Calonectris diomedea, Calonectris edwardsii and  Calonectris borealis which is commonly known as Cory’s Shearwater or Cagarro in Portuguese.

The Cagarro breeds on Madeira, the Azores and the Berlengas Archipelago in Portugal and the Canary Islands in Spain. The Azores host more than 75% of the Cory’s Shearwater entire population.

Meet the Cory’s Shearwaters (Cagarro)

The Azores host the vast majority of nesting sites for these birds, who come every year in spring to reproduce. They are renowned and recognisable by their funny calls which resemble a baby’s cry or sometimes a person talking gibberish with a high pitch voice

The Shearwaters stay in their nesting ground all spring and summer until their chicks are grown enough to try their first flights. And here’s where the problem arise. These birds use the light of the stars to orientate so they know in which direction the Ocean is. The unexperienced chicks leave the nest to start exploring the world and so they are often distracted and misled by the roadlights and/or car lights ending up in the wrong direction and often crashing to the ground.

The problem is that the Cagarro, being a seabird, does not know how to take off from the ground, it is only able to fly by taking off either from a cliff or over water! So the poor unfortunate bird ends up on the ground, motionless, completely disoriented and frightened, with the result of being attacked by dogs and cats or starving to death.

Every year hundreds of Cagarros become stranded that way and this is why the campaign SOS Cagarro was created by volunteers with the Azorean government sponsorship. Every year from October the 1st to November 15th every island in the Azores starts the campaign by organising night walks to capture and then release in the Ocean as many stranded Cagarros as possible, and by asking the population to do the same by distributing cardboard boxes to use as a temporary cage.

How to rescue a Cagarro (Cory’s Shearwater)

If you find a Cagarro stranded on the ground (quite common during the SOS Cagarro campaign) here’s what you need to do: Gently approach the animal with a blanket (and gloves if possible as they can try to bite because they’re scared), put the blanket over the bird and then gently grab it – it will not move – then put in in the SOS Cagarro box (or another box for that matter) and let the box in a quiet closed place in your house (like a garage, or a storage room) for the night.

Make sure to make little holes in the box (if you are using your own) so the bird can breathe. Leave it there for the night, the bird will most likely stay put without making any noise.

The next morning, just take the box and bring the animal to the nearest SOS Cagarro point, where the volunteers will take care of it and then release it as soon as possible into the Ocean.

If you still are unsure what to do or you can’t do it yourself for whatever reason it’s possible to call the hotline or send an email to the volunteer group

800 292 800

cagarro@azores.gov.pt

This year alone, more than 6.000 Cory’s Shearwaters were rescued and successfully freed thanks to the volunteers working relentlessly and the help from locals and expats.

As the motto of SOS Cagarro recite “Salva um Cagarro, faz um amigo!” (Save a Shearwater, make a friend)

The Azores islands are today considered one of the world’s sanctuaries of biodiversity and geodiversity, and one of the best destinations in the world for lovers of natural tourism.

Flora

Among the original flora of the archipelago, partially disappeared after the arrival of the colonists, the typical Macaronesian laurisilva (laurel forest), composed of juniper shrubs (Juniper brevifolia), heather, laurel (Laurus azorica), tamarisk and various other dozens of endemic species still observable today. The Canarian laurel Myrica Faya or the Canarian laurel, is one of the most important and unique widespread and original species.

The “laurel forest” is an evergreen forest typical of the islands of Macaronesia, composed of evergreen laurels that reach even 40 meters in height.

These forests, remains of vegetation that covered a large part of the Mediterranean basin during the Pliocene, regressed in the rest of Europe due to drought, replaced by vegetation more resistant to the dry climate. The position of Macaronesia, and therefore of the Azores archipelago, with its temperate climate and the consequent maintenance of average humidity, allows to mitigate the climatic fluctuations and therefore the survival of these forests.

Small fields of laurisilva are still found in the Azores on the island of Pico, Terceira and on the island of São Miguel above 500 meters above sea level.

Among the other species that can be found in the Azores we mention: the Cedar of Lebanon, the Holly, the Viburnum, the Scottish heather, the Erica scoparia or of the broom, the wild berry, the Euphorbia, the wild cherry Morello, Brazil Mahogany, Lauro and Cornelian cherry.

During the centuries of colonization, man introduced many other species which today contribute to attributing new features to the landscape. These include the Acacias, the Camellias, the Belladonna, the Agapanti, the Japanese Cryptomeria, the Magnolias, the Hibiscus, the Australian paper tree, the camphor trees, the rare ginkgo as well as, for us municipalities, plane trees, lime trees , pines and palms. Among all the species introduced over the centuries there are Hydrangeas and Azaleas which with their peculiar blue and pink colors have given the islands a particular uniqueness.

Azores Tea

In the Azores, thanks to the particular humid and temperate climate, all types of vegetables and fruit grow, even those considered exotic to us such as pineapples and bananas, alongside citrus and spices.

In addition, Hemp, Flax, Tobacco are easily grown and incredibly, only place in Europe, Tea!

Another peculiarity: the Azores are an excellent soil for collecting mushrooms (even porcini) that no one collects by habit and culture!

Fauna

Whale in front of Pico The largest fauna in the Azores archipelago was and still remains today in the sea where the major aquatic mammals live: in the waters around the islands over 24 types of cetaceans live and transit such as sperm whales, killer whales and dolphins, 5 species of sea turtles, together with swordfish, tuna, barracuda, anchovies, groupers and many other types of fish.

In the area there are abundant colonies of molluscs and crustaceans which complete a truly exceptional marine biodiversity. The meeting point between the cold deep waters of the ocean and the warm currents of the Gulf make the Azores area an area particularly rich in fish at all times of the year. In many lakes of the islands there are also pike, carp, trout and salmon trout.Thanks to the ideal position of the archipelago, at the center of the route between America and Europe, and thanks to its jagged coasts, steep cliffs, unspoiled nature and numerous lakes, the Azores islands have become an almost obligatory stop for many migratory birds that they stop, refresh and nest on its territory during their great intercontinental crossings.The Azores are therefore rich in seabirds and birds of prey. To name a few: kites and hawks, partridges, crows, crows,

Azores bullfinch Pyrrhula murinacolombi, gulls, the royal tern, the blackbird, the canary, the petroleum of Fea, the berta of Bulwer, the lesser atlantic berta, the Macaronesia berta, the bird of the Castro storms and the very rare priolo or bullfinch of the Azores (Pyrrhula murina) which enjoys special protection as believed extinct and rediscovered on the island of Sao Miguel, in the area of Tronqueira. A paradise for bird watchers. Of course there is no shortage, given the numerous pristine and wooded areas, porcupines, hares of the Azores, ferrets and other small land mammals. Finally, noteworthy, we remember that snakes are absent throughout the territory of the Azorian archipelago. More generally, it can be said that there are absolutely no dangerous species for humans.

Last note, there are two breeds of dogs typical of the island: the Cão Fila de São Miguel – a medium / large size molossoid, an excellent shepherd and guard dog, and the Barbado da Terceira, medium-sized dog with long and matted hair, also it used as a working dog.