Sete Cidades and the twin lakes inside a volcanic crown
Published on 08/18/2026 at 18:12 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael MĂŒller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Sete Cidades on the island of SĂŁo Miguel is a place where a volcanic landscape and a small Atlantic village share the same enormous basin. West of Ponta Delgada in the Azores, a broad caldera holds two crater lakes in contrasting colours that have become one of Portugalâs best-known inland views.
A caldera above the Atlantic
The landform at Sete Cidades is the collapsed summit of a large volcanic complex on the western side of SĂŁo Miguel, forming an expansive basin framed by high rims. The caldera is associated with the Sete Cidades Volcano, whose structure dominates this part of the island and shapes its skyline.The area is dominated by the large Sete Cidades Volcano Inside the basin, slopes of pasture and woodland descend towards the water, broken by smaller volcanic cones and hollows that show how complex the interior relief is.The Sete Cidades Massif occupies the northwestern portion of SĂŁo Miguel
Geologists describe Sete Cidades as a central volcano with a collapse caldera, part of a wider massif that includes lava domes, maars and pyroclastic cones. The caldera developed during a sequence of large explosive eruptions that emptied underlying magma chambers and created space for the surface to subside.Its caldera has an average diameter of about 5.3 kilometres Within this structure, additional eruptions later shaped smaller lakes such as Lagoa de Santiago and Lagoa Rasa, which sit in their own depressions inside the larger frame.Inside the caldera, there are still the lakes of Santiago and Rasa
The twin crater lakes of Lagoa das Sete Cidades
At the centre of Sete Cidades lies Lagoa das Sete Cidades, a twin crater lake system occupying much of the caldera floor. Hydrologically it is one lake, yet it is commonly described as two adjoining bodies of water named Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Verde.Lagoa das Sete Cidades is a twin lake situated in the crater of a dormant volcano A low bridge carries the main road across the narrow strait that links both parts, giving a clear view of the contrast between the blue and green stretches.The twin lake is composed of Lagoa Verde and Lagoa Azul connected by a shallow channel with a low bridge
The combined area of Lagoa das Sete Cidades makes it one of the largest bodies of inland freshwater in the Azores archipelago.The largest lake in the Azores, the Lagoa das Sete Cidades, consists of two distinct bodies of water From viewpoints along the caldera rim, travellers see the twin lakes as a pair of surfaces at the base of an immense volcanic bowl, edged by fields, forest patches and the compact cluster of the village. On calm days the water reflects sky and slopes, turning the basin into an almost continuous band of colour between rim and shore.
A village inside the crater
The civil parish of Sete Cidades forms a small community on the floor of the caldera, close to the eastern shore of the lake that shares its name.Sete Cidades is a civil parish of the municipality of Ponta Delgada Houses line narrow streets that follow the contours of the basin, with agricultural plots and pasture stretching towards the inner slopes and lakeside margins.The village lies at about 260 metres inside the volcanic caldera at the edge of the lake
Sete Cidades belongs administratively to the municipality of Ponta Delgada on SĂŁo Miguel, part of the autonomous region of the Azores in Portugal.Lagoa das Sete Cidades lies in Ponta Delgada on SĂŁo Miguel Island in the Azores, Portugal The parish occupies an area of just over 19 square kilometres, combining settlement, farmland and natural terrain within the crater.The parish covers 19.22 square kilometres From the village, minor roads and paths lead towards viewpoints, smaller lakes and the inner flanks of the caldera walls.
Visiting Sete Cidades: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Sete Cidades lies on the western side of SĂŁo Miguel Island in the Azores, west of Ponta Delgada, and is reached by road crossings of the caldera rim leading down into the basin.
- The terrain inside and around the caldera involves significant gradients, with roads and paths that descend from the rim to the lakeside and smaller tracks that climb towards viewpoints on the slopes.
- The official language is Portuguese and the currency is the euro.
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Frequently asked questions about Sete Cidades
Where is Sete Cidades located?
Sete Cidades lies within a volcanic caldera on the western side of SĂŁo Miguel Island in the Azores, belonging to the municipality of Ponta Delgada in Portugal.
What can travellers expect when visiting Sete Cidades?
Travellers encounter a large volcanic basin with twin crater lakes, steep surrounding slopes and a compact village on the lakeside linked by roads that descend from the caldera rim.
What makes Sete Cidades distinctive among volcanic landscapes?
The combination of a broad collapse caldera, contrasting twin lakes known as Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Verde, and an inhabited parish on the crater floor gives Sete Cidades its particular character.
