Where to stay in São Miguel (Azores): best area and best hotels

Are you traveling to São Miguel, the main and largest island of the Azores, and wondering where to stay? Not sure if it’s better to stay in the capital, Ponta Delgada, or in other areas of the island? You’ve come to the right place!

In this article we will explain in detail what are the best areas to stay in São Miguel, the advantages and disadvantages of each one, the accommodations we have stayed in at RandomTrip in our different visits to the island and recommendations of other accommodations in each of the areas. In addition, we share the pros and cons of making a base in a specific area of the island or divide your stay in different areas, depending on the duration of your trip, based on our own experience since we did it both ways in different trips.

Don’t miss anything on the island with our complete guide to São Miguel

Best area to stay in São Miguel

São Miguel is the largest island of the Azores, and also where there is a greater offer of all kinds of tourist services, including accommodation. As we detail in our complete guide to the island, we consider that a week is the ideal time to enjoy São Miguel (and more days if you can, especially if you like hiking, the plans do not run out).

We have divided the island into different zones, which you can see below on the map, and below we indicate the advantages and disadvantages of sleeping in each zone. It is important to note that from the central locations in the south and north (Ponta Delgada and surroundings, Ribeira Grande and surroundings) it takes between 45 minutes and 1 hour to the furthest points at the ends of the island (Mosteiros and Sete Cidades to the west, Furnas, Nordeste and Povoação to the east).

At RandomTrip we have stayed in almost all areas. Based on our experience, you have two options:

• Stay in the central area of the island for your entire stay (orange, purple and brown areas in the map), in a single accommodation, so that you can decide where to go each day and have more flexibility.
• Split the stay in several accommodations in different areas of the island, in order to better enjoy and explore each area, and to have a less touristy experience.

None is better or worse, so it depends entirely on your tastes, budget and the amount of days you have (if you go for a few days, 4 or less, we do believe it is better to stay in a central area such as Ponta Delgada and surroundings or Ribeira Grande and surroundings, to avoid wasting a lot of time driving).

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of each zone:

• Ponta Delgada:
  • Main city and capital of the island
  • Where there is the widest range of accommodation and restaurants
  • Strategic location to be able to decide which area to go to each day.
  • More expensive restaurants, more crowded (especially in high season) and more touristy (less quality)
  • More expensive accommodations
  • Parking can be a problem
  • If you do not rent a car, it is the easiest place to hire tours.
• Other places in the south of the island (Vila Franca do Campo, Lagoa, Caloura, Feteiras, etc.):
  • Smaller and more manageable towns or cities
  • Good offer of accommodations and restaurants
  • Strategic location to be able to decide which area to go to each day
  • Less touristy restaurants with better prices
  • Less expensive accommodations
  • Easy parking
• North – Ribeira Grande and Rabo de Peixe:
  • Ribeira Grande is the second main city of the island.
  • Good offer of accommodations and restaurants
  • Strategic location to be able to decide which area to go to each day
  • Restaurants with better quality, although they are starting to become touristy
  • Less expensive accommodations
  • Relatively easy parking
• Furnas:
  • One of the most special and unique areas of the island, although touristy.
  • Some offer on accommodation and restaurants
  • Recommended to split stay with another area, everything is further from Furnas.
  • If you stay at Terra Nostra, you can access the hot springs once it is closed to the public and at night. You can also enjoy Dona Beija at night without worrying about driving afterwards.
  • More expensive accommodations
  • Easy parking
• Nordeste and Povoação:
  • One of our favorite areas of the island. More rural, less touristic, ideal if you are looking for calm and stay in a more local atmosphere.
  • Limited offer of accommodations and restaurants
  • Recommended for splitting stay with another area, everything is further from Nordeste and Povoação
  • Cheaper accommodations
  • Easy parking
• Northwest (Capelas, Santo Antonio, etc.):
  • Rural and not very touristic area of the island, ideal if you are looking for calm and stay in a more local atmosphere.
  • Limited offer of accommodations and restaurants
  • Relatively good location to be able to decide which area to go to each day
  • Easy parking
• West – Mosteiros and Sete Cidades:
  • Touristy but special area, as you can stay overlooking the lagoons in Sete Cidades, or overlooking the sunset in Mosteiros.
  • Limited offer of accommodations and restaurants
  • Recommended to split stay with another area, everything is farther from Sete Cidades or Mosteiros.
  • Cheaper accommodations
  • Easy parking

If you choose to stay outside Ponta Delgada, we recommend you to take a look at the accommodations of the rural tourism association Casas Açorianas. During our 2025 trip to the Azores, we collaborated with the association with the aim of getting to know some of their associated rural tourism accommodations, which we include below with photos of our experience. In addition, you can see thm Instagra, stories we made those days in São Miguel where the accommodations are shown in this link.

Best accommodations and hotels in São Miguel

Where to stay in Ponta Delgada

Ponta Delgada is undoubtedly the preferred choice of most people traveling to São Miguel, due to its central location, its huge range of accommodation and restaurants for all tastes and its tourist offer. It is also the ideal place to stay if you do not rent a car, since most shared tours depart from there, although in our opinion, to get to know the island it is ideal to rent a car to move around with total freedom of schedules.

However, it also has several disadvantages: we have noticed a rather high increase in accommodation prices in recent years, parking can be complicated (if you stay in Ponta Delgada, we recommend looking for accommodation that includes parking or has a free parking area nearby), restaurants fill up and you have to book sometimes several days in advance, and restaurant prices have also increased while also decreasing in quality and/or quantity.

At RandomTrip we have stayed several times in Ponta Delgada on our visits to São Miguel, here are the accommodations we have stayed at and recommend:

Ladeira Loft (from 80€/night), a very spacious one-bedroom apartment in the center of Ponta Delgada (very close to Mercado da Graça) with kitchen and views of the Atlantic, where we stayed several days.

Hotel do Colegio ( from 75€/night), a beautiful hotel in a 19th century building, with swimming pool, in the center of Ponta Delgada. It was the hotel where Inês stayed with her mother and sister the first time they visited the island and they loved it.

Azores Inn (from 130€/night): At RandomTrip we split our stay at various points on the island on our last visit to São Miguel in 2025 and stayed three nights here. Small, very new and comfortable rooms, right in the center (you can walk everywhere in the historic center), with a huge shared kitchen (with several independent stoves and fridges) and a small terrace on the first floor. There are also dormitories (hostel style) if you are looking for a cheaper option.

Casa da Graça (from 120€/night): Our friends Catarina and Ricardo visited São Miguel recently and loved staying at Casa da Graça, a hotel very well managed by Vânia and Sergio that makes you feel at home in Ponta Delgada, apart from the great rooms (and breakfast):

Hotel Gaivota (from 115€): at Randomtrip we stayed here on our first trip to São Miguel, they have rooms and apartments, some with sea views, right on the seafront avenue of Ponta Delgada.

Other accommodations that we recommend in Ponta Delgada:

Nook Hostel (from 50€/night): in the historic center, it has apartments with 2 rooms, private rooms and beds in dormitories.

Garoupas Inn (from 65€/night): not in the center of Ponta Delgada but has sea views and a shared jacuzzi on the terrace.

Holy Cow (from 80€/night): a hostel with rooms with private bathrooms and dormitories less than 10 minutes walk from the historic center.

Vip Executive Azores Hotel (from 90€/night): large hotel about 20 minutes walk away, with a rooftop restaurant overlooking the sea and private parking (for a fee).

Chez Lúcia (from 100€/night): apartment with two bedrooms (for up to 4 people) and terrace, in the center of Ponta Delgada.

The Lince Azores (from 100€/night): beautiful hotel with rooms overlooking the city, the sea and the island’s landscape, buffet breakfast and indoor heated pool with an outdoor part that is covered in winter, ideal if you visit São Miguel in winter.

Octant Ponta Delgada (from €140/night): 5-star hotel featuring modern, soundproofed rooms with stunning sea views, spa and outdoor pool. In addition to the central location and thoughtful design, the Octant Ponta Delgada also offers delicious breakfasts, the À Terra restaurant with innovative proposals and a bar open in the evenings. One of the best options to stay in Ponta Delgada to surprise someone.

Grand Hotel Azores Atlántico (from 150€/night): is a 5 star hotel located right in front of the “Portas do Mar”.

Armazéns Cogumbreiro (from 150 €/night): they were the largest commercial establishment on the island, in a building from 1913, renovated, in the center, with spacious and bright rooms.

Where to stay in the surroundings of Ponta Delgada

If you want to stay near Ponta Delgada because of the restaurants but not in the heart of the city (and, therefore, where it will be easier to park), you also have some interesting options in the outskirts of the capital:

Sleep among pineapple plantations at the Senhora da Rosa Tradition & Nature Hotel (from 104€/night), near Ponta Delgada:

If you are 4 or 5 people traveling, an excellent option to stay on the island is the beautiful Pink House (from 186€/night for 5 people), near Ponta Delgada. Downstairs are the bedrooms, upstairs the huge kitchen and living room, welcome to contemporary rural tourism:

You can see more accommodations in Ponta Delgada and around the capital here:

Where to stay in Furnas

Furnas is undoubtedly one of the most special and unique areas of São Miguel and the Azores in general. A village located in the caldera of a dormant volcano, in Furnas you can enjoy the thermal waters, its fumaroles, the use of geothermal heat in gastronomy, its lagoon and its viewpoints.

Due to its location (there are two accesses to Furnas, one from the north and one from the south, both on winding roads), Furnas is not the ideal place if you are going to choose only one accommodation on the island, as it will take you longer to get to the other places in São Miguel. But if you divide your stay on the island in several accommodations, it is worth staying a few nights in Furnas, to enjoy the area with fewer people and to be able to enjoy its thermal waters at sunset without having to drive at night; from here you can also reach Nordeste and Povoação quickly due to its proximity.

At RandomTrip we stayed on our last visit in 2025 at the amazing Quinta da Mó (from 250€/night), an oasis in Furnas, partner accommodation of Casas Açorianas.

The location is very central, just steps away from Poça Dona Beija and within walking distance of the rest of Furnas’ attractions, but you can’t imagine what you’ll find behind the entrance gate until you walk in: a bamboo forest, a small stream running through the property directly from Lagoa de Furnas that will give you the soothing soundtrack along with the birdsong of your days here, a jacuzzi where you can relax in the middle of nature (or, if you prefer, a massage) and a room bathed in komorebi are just some of the highlights.

Like most of Casas Açorianas‘ rural lodgings, it has its history behind it. After being abandoned for several years, in 2007 this family began the restoration of an old water mill that was once used to grind the cereals that supplied much of the population of Furnas. Although the mill is no longer in operation, it was converted into Casa da Mó, the three-bedroom house on the estate, ideal if you are traveling with family or friends.

The following year, restoration work continued on three other buildings, one of which is the “Casa do Engenho“, where we stayed at Randomtrip, an old carpentry workshop where a hydraulic lathe used to manufacture, in addition to other furniture, the typical Furnas chairs.

Casa do Engenho, where we stayed, consists of two floors. On the second floor is a double bedroom with a glass ceiling that gives it the relaxing komorebi, those rays of sun filtered by the leaves of the trees that bathe the room (don’t worry, there are automatic blackout curtains so you won’t wake up with the first rays of the day if you don’t want to). On the first floor you will find the bathroom and the living room with kitchenette with a large window opening onto your private terrace with panoramic views of the surrounding garden. The terrace is equipped with sun loungers, table, chairs and umbrella. Along this private terrace, next to the house, there is a small levada which, when crossed by water, turns a waterwheel that provides the soundtrack.

The other two reconstructed houses, “Granel” and “Cafuão”, were two old granaries, typical buildings that coexisted with the mills of the time, intended for the storage of grains and similar products.

Quinta da Mó currently has three one-bedroom bungalows and a house (Casa da Mó) with three bedrooms. The quinta (farm in Portuguese) has a dam with several species of fish, a garden with jacuzzi for massages that is a real outdoor spa, a bamboo path to walk to the cottage where breakfast is served (with local products overlooking the stream) and even a boat ride in a quieter area of the stream, all designed to make us continue to relax even after getting out of bed.

It is also worth mentioning that the attention we received at Quinta da Mó was very attentive, from the moment of check-in to the breakfast and cleaning service, we loved it!

Other accommodations that we recommend in Furnas:

Terra Nostra Garden Hotel (from 330€/night): if your budget allows it, you can stay in the Terra Nostra Park itself, in a high quality 4-star hotel where you can also enjoy its thermal waters after the park closes, with much less people and even at night (the park closes at 16:30h for the general public). The food at the restaurant is also highly recommended.

Octant Furnas (from 320€/night): 5-star hotel with indoor and outdoor hot springs (open 24 hours a day) and spa.

You can see more accommodations in Furnas here:

Where to stay in Nordeste and Povoação

Nordeste and Povoação are two villages located east of São Miguel, and due to their access through curvy roads, they are less touristic, ideal for those seeking tranquility but no less impressive. It used to be said that Nordeste was considered “the tenth island of the Azores”, because of how difficult it was to get there. Nowadays it is much easier, due to the new roads (from Ponta Delgada it takes about an hour to both Nordeste and Povoação).

If what you are looking for is to stay in a rural environment and much less touristic, where you can make a base to explore the eastern part of the island, staying in Nordeste or Povoação is a good choice. Like Furnas, if you are going to stay in a single accommodation during your entire stay, we do not recommend this area because from here to other areas of the island you will take longer, but if you are going to divide your stay in several accommodations, making a base here you can visit all the places of interest that are on the east side of the island (including Furnas).

In RandomTrip we stayed in our last visit in 2025 a few nights in Nordeste (at Tradicampo Eco Country Houses), and a few nights in Povoação (at Casa da Cisaltina), in two accommodations that are part of Casas Açorianas. You can see the stories we did those days in São Miguel where the accommodations are shown in this link.

In Nordeste we stayed in one of the lodgings of Tradicampo Eco Country Houses, specifically Casas do Patio (from 90€/night), which was located in the small village of San Pedro Nordestinho, a 10 min drive from Nordeste, and are a real haven of peace.

Tradicampo has several accommodation units, all in the Nordeste area. Casas do Pátio, in São Pedro Nordestinho, includes two accommodation units, Casa do Tanque with two bedrooms and Arribana, with one bedroom, where we stayed at Randomtrip. Both houses have a kitchen and living room with fireplace and access to a shared garden with a swimming pool overlooking the sea, barbecue and private parking. This makes the houses adapted to the climate of the Azores as the island can have all 4 seasons in one day and, in our case, we got to enjoy the pool during the day and light the fireplace at night. In addition to being adapted to the climate, our house, Arribana, is also adapted for people with reduced mobility.

In addition, Tradicampo has several services that make us understand why (in addition to the quality of the accommodations) those who stay here tend to repeat. Upon arrival, we are always greeted personally with great kindness and patience as they spend a lot of time explaining, as people in love with the Nordeste that they are, all the routes, places of interest, restaurants and questions that we may have. To help those of us who have just arrived to explore the area, they have created an online guide with a map – Tradiguide – which we can access online during our stay to make life easier on those days when we want to leave the peace and quiet of our accommodation and go out to discover one of the most beautiful areas of the island.

Another highlight in their accommodations is that upon arrival you will find the fridge full of local products for your breakfast and fresh bread will be hung on the door every day. It also has a free bike service (you can do some of the routes proposed in Tradiguide), a small library, decoration with restored traditional furniture and great care in promoting the local and sustainable in every detail. In fact, since 2012, Tradicampo has been awarded the Green Key distinction, an independent environmental award that integrates Tourism organizations that value Environmental Management in their undertakings and promote Environmental Education for Sustainability.

Less than 10 minutes walk away, also in São Pedro Nordestinho, is another Tradicampo accommodation, Casa da Talha, also with one room and with the particularity of having a wood-fired oven where you can enjoy a delicious meal overlooking the sea.

Casa da Fonte is a rustic stone cottage from the 18th century, ideal for relaxing in the town of Algarvia, in the Nordeste. This house has a room and also has a wood oven where to give wings to the gastronomic imagination and relax on the porch overlooking the sea and the mountains. It is a house accessible to people with reduced mobility.

If you are more, Quinta das Cycas is a farm that has 4 accommodation units in an estate of 5300 m2 and a garden with stunning sea and mountain views. Casa da Cisterna, O Granel and Estudio da Varanda have one bedroom each and Casa do Arco has two bedrooms. All accommodations have a private furnished outdoor space and barbecue to enjoy outdoor meals and a common outdoor swimming pool.

In Povoação, the first place to be populated in São Miguel, we stayed a few nights at Casa da Cisaltina (from 70€/night). If you want to get to know a less touristy side of São Miguel and relax in a quiet environment in an already quiet village, it is ideal.

This is a project born from the love and dream of Cisaltina herself, mother of Fatima, the owner who welcomed us with a big smile and told us the story of this late 19th century farmhouse, now rebuilt as a living tribute to her parents.

Casa da Cisaltina consists of three suites and two apartments, each baptized with an aromatic plant that not only gives the name but the aroma to each of the spaces, and a poetic facade with words of homage to Cisaltina’s father, her husband.

The entire surrounding space is filled with plants, several endemic, and fruit trees and consists of a common area where you can read a book or just relax.

At RandomTrip we stayed in the apartment Alecrim (rosemary, in Portuguese) with one bedroom, bathroom and living room with kitchenette.

The delicious breakfast, served every morning in a common area or, if the weather is nice, on the terrace, consists of local and seasonal products and even compotes made by Fatima with fruits from the farm’s orchard. In our case, as we went at Easter, we even had homemade sweets typical of this festive season.

Besides being a real haven of peace, Casa da Cisaltina is located on one of the hills (lombas) surrounding the picturesque fishing port of Povoação with some very nice restaurants, beach and natural pools and several hiking trails (such as Fajã do Araújo or Ribeira dos Bispos which passes by a supposed Phoenician columbarium, to be confirmed). It is also very close to the photogenic Alameda dos Plátanos where you can go walking or cycling. The accommodation also offers several experiences to approach the “local know-how” as, for example, making homemade bread in the wood-fired oven.

Other accommodations we recommend in Nordeste and Povoação:

Casa Vista da Marquesa (Nordeste, from 71€/night): one-bedroom house and outdoor area to rest. They offer a basket of local products upon arrival

Hotel do Mar (Povoação, from 81€/night): rooms in 4-star hotel with swimming pool and jacuzzi

The Lince Nordeste (Nordeste, from €223/night): comfortable and spacious rooms in a 4-star hotel with spa, indoor pool and outdoor pool.

Casa do Cinzeiro (Nordeste, from 279€/night): a beautiful house overlooking the sea, with 2 bedrooms and outdoor pool, ideal if you are traveling with family or friends.

You can see more accommodations in Nordeste and Povoação here:

Where to stay in the North: Ribeira Grande and Rabo de Peixe

Ribeira Grande is the second main city of São Miguel, less touristic and with plenty of accommodation and restaurant options. On the other hand, Rabo de Peixe, about 10 minutes from Ribeira Grande, is a small fishing village that may ring a bell from the famous Netflix series. Both places are an excellent area to stay in São Miguel, due to their central location and the number of dining options after a day of exploring the island.

In RandomTrip we stayed in our last visit in 2025 a few nights in Rabo de Peixe, in Quinta do Paraízo (from 140€/night), part of Casas Açorianas, a house where the family enjoyed the vacations and now gained a new life thanks to the daughter, the nice Biló, and her rural tourism project. You can see the stories we made those days in São Miguel where the accommodations are shown in this link.

The farm has 3 rooms in the main house and a studio, where we stayed at RandomTrip, with buffet breakfast included. A real green paradise full of fruit trees.

The farm has an outdoor swimming pool (heated water, except in summer), a small cabin that functions as a covered common area where guests can cook, read, enjoy a board game or have a drink. When we went there, they were finishing a space on the estate where you can relax or practice yoga or meditation with views of the sea and different areas of São Miguel.

In our case we stayed in the studio which directly overlooks the garden and has a mini kitchen, and the other rooms are located in the main house.

Other accommodations that we recommend in Ribeira Grande:

Mitós Vila (from 50€/night): apartments and villas for two people at a good price.

Central House (from 80€/night), a spacious and comfortable house with two bedrooms that you can enjoy up to 6 people.

Quinta do Passo (from 108€/night): 1 or 2 bedroom villas with outdoor pool, 7 minutes walking distance from the beach

Pico do Refugio (from 130€/night) is a 17th century estate that was once a militia fort, an artists’ house and even a tea factory. Today, it is one of the most elegant places to stay in this part of the island: apartments and lofts in a dreamlike setting.

Verde Mar & Spa (from 160€/night), a 5-star hotel, is one of the best options in Ribeira Grande:

Santa Barbara Eco-Beach Resort (165€/night): Here you can indulge yourself and stay in front of the sea in the surf capital (and with the option, of course, of doing surf lessons).

You can see more accommodations in Ribeira Grande here:

Where to stay in the Northwest: Capelas and surroundings

The northwest area of São Miguel, between Ribeira Grande and Mosteiros, is perhaps one of the least known, and therefore less touristy and quieter, although with a good and relatively central location for exploring the island, and with better prices.

In RandomTrip we stayed in our last visit in 2025 a few nights in São Vicente (next to Capelas), at Quinta de Nossa Senhora de Lourdes (from 90€/night), part of Casas Açorianas. You can see the stories we did those days in São Miguel where the accommodations are shown in this link.

Built over a hundred years ago (dating back to 1888), the name of the Nossa Senhora de Lourdes estate comes from the existence of a niche on the main façade of the house with Nossa Senhora de Lourdes (Our Lady of Lourdes), protector of sailors. The entire estate was occupied by vineyards that produced the grapes used in the production of a famous wine (it was one of the largest wine houses in the area) and to this day the hosts still produce a delicious vinho abafado, typical of the island.

Quinta de Nossa Senhora de Lourdes has 3 double rooms with their own bathroom (some with a small kitchen) surrounded by a beautiful garden, in addition to the main house where the charming couple responsible for this beautiful project, Esmeralda and Anselmo, live.

The best thing about this accommodation, besides its hosts, is that it has several common areas such as the fantastic pool overlooking the sea, the island and the famous “elephant-shaped rock”, where you can have breakfast on the terrace, if it’s nice, or inside with the views, on cooler days. The accommodation also has a small gym and two common rooms, one with a small wine cellar and pool table, and the other with sofas, piano and access to a patio with a fountain that invites you to relax.

The hosts, Esmeralda and Anselmo, are charming people with whom you can learn a lot about the island and the particularities of Capelas (it was here that the old port and whaling factory of the island was located). If you have time, they will show you the property and its different spaces, the rooms are an authentic small ethnographic museum with a multitude of objects of life on the island: various instruments from the time of whaling, barrels and different presses from their cellar, tools with which they worked the fields, etc.).

Other accommodations that we recommend in the Northwest:

São Vicente Lodge Panoramic Retreat (from 63€/night): an ideal accommodation whether you are two people or a group of up to 10 people as they have both double rooms and a house with 5 rooms. In addition, the lodge has common areas such as an outdoor swimming pool and garden with barbecue.

Solar Pontes (from 64€/night): comfortable double rooms, some with sea views, others with views of the Azorean greenery.

Acorsonho (from 107€/night): small apartments, all with access to the indoor and outdoor swimming pools, gym, tennis court, games room and even mini-golf.

Quinta da Tilia Boutique Retreat (from 174€/night): if you are traveling with your family or a group, this villa with sea views and a huge outdoor space has 3 rooms

Casa do Vale do Sossego (from 246€/night): 18th century house with 5 spacious and comfortable rooms and large garden with barbecue.

Quinta das Flores (from 300€/night): well-kept 2-bedroom country house with outdoor pool and garden

You can see more accommodations in Capelas and surroundings here:

Where to stay in Lagoa, Caloura and Vila Franca do Campo

If you want to stay in the south of the island, centrally located to visit all areas of São Miguel but escaping the hustle and bustle of Ponta Delgada, you have several options in the surroundings, such as Lagoa, Caloura or Vila Franca do Campo, with dining options and somewhat more affordable prices.

At RandomTrip we stayed a few nights on our last visit in 2025 in an authentic windmill converted into accommodation!

This old 19th century mill is located in Feteiras, 20 minutes from the capital, and was the mill that supplied the town’s population with wheat and other cereals. The Moinho das Feteiras (from 160€/night), part of Casas Açorianas, consists of three levels: the kitchen and living room downstairs, the bathroom on the middle floor and a fascinating room with 360º windows and sea views on the top floor.

In addition to the mill, the most original and remarkable accommodation of the property, the farm also has two old barns rebuilt for rural tourism, typical buildings that coexisted with the mills of the time, intended for the storage of grains and similar products. Each barn at Moinho das Feteiras offers a lot of comfort and sea views, and can accommodate up to 4 people.

You can see the stories we made those days in São Miguel where the accommodations are shown in this link.

Here are some other suggestions for accommodations:

Caloura Hotel Resort (from 100€/night): in Caloura, 4 star hotel with amazing sea views

White Exclusive Suites & Villas (from 200€/night): in Lagoa, located in a bay of volcanic rock and traces of ancient Azorean architecture.

Sul Villas & Spa (from 238€/night): in Lagoa. Here you can enjoy panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean both from the villas and the outdoor saltwater pool:

You can see more accommodations in the south of São Miguel here:

Where to stay in Sete Cidades

Lagoa de Sete Cidades is undoubtedly one of the most iconic places in São Miguel, and it is possible to stay overnight in the small village of the same name at the water’s edge (or nearby). It is important to note that the options for lunch or dinner in Sete Cidades are very limited (there are a few more in Mosteiros, about 15 minutes away), so if you decide to stay there you should ideally choose a self-catering accommodation.

At RandomTrip we have not yet stayed in Sete Cidades, but below we list several accommodations we have noted for future visits to São Miguel.

Sete Cidades Nature Villa (from 159€/night): villas with 1, 2 or 3 bedrooms at 13 minutes walk from the lagoon

Quinta da Queiró (from 159€/night): farm with different types of houses, with 1, 2 or 3 bedrooms.

Lake Cottage Panoramic View (from 238€/night): a two-bedroom house with a breathtaking terrace overlooking Lagoa das Sete Cidades

Sete Cidades Lake Cabin – Casa da Lagoa (from 300€/night): Can you imagine waking up with these views? This chalet has two bedrooms and breathtaking views. It has 165 m2 and as a picture is worth a thousand words, here it goes:

Sete Cidades Lake Lodge (from 334 €/night) also has canoes and bicycles to explore the lagoon on your own. The easiest way for you to see where the cabins are located in the peaceful surroundings of the lagoon:

You can see more accommodations in Sete Cidades here:

Where to stay in Mosteiros

If sunsets are your thing, Mosteiros is the place par excellence to enjoy them in São Miguel, besides being a super quiet area. Of course, you will be at one end of the island, so it will take you longer to get to the other end areas like Nordeste or Furnas, so we do not recommend you to make Mosteiros your base for the whole trip, but as a place to spend some of the nights and explore this area of the island.

At RandomTrip we did not get to enjoy staying in this area of the island, but we leave you some accommodations that we have saved for future visits to São Miguel:

Canto Do Mar (from 149€/night): one or two-bedroom houses (accommodating up to 5 people) within a 15-minute walk to Mosteiros beach and its incredible sunset.

Mosteiros Beach House 10 (from 156€/night): a well-equipped two-bedroom house with kitchen and barbecue, right on Mosteiros beach, ideal for those who like to sleep to the soundtrack of the sea.

Villa Varzea (from 170€/night): a restored centenary villa very close to Mosteiros, in an ideal environment and with several types of rooms.

Sensi Nature and Spa (from 180€/night): rural tourism with 20 rooms, outdoor infinity pool, indoor pool and an incredible terrace from where to say goodbye to the sun in the sea.

Blue OceanView Relaxing Cottage (from 217€/night): a beautiful house that accommodates up to 4 people (1 bedroom and a sofa bed) with stunning sea views, 4 minutes walk from Mosteiros beach.

Mosteiros Place (from 404€/night): 4-star apartments, for 2 to 4 people, with minimalist design and outdoor pool with breathtaking sea views

You can see more accommodations in Mosteiros here:

Remember that all prices mentioned in this post are approximate and may change depending on the type of room and the season of each accommodation.

Disclaimer: Casas Açorianas-Associação de Turismo em Espaço Rural invited us to try some of the partner accommodations in São Miguel mentioned in this guide but all opinions and information expressed in this post are our own.

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Hopefully this post based on our own experiences of the several trips we made to São Miguel will help you decide in which area and which accommodation to choose on the island. The place where we return after each adventure and where we wake up to start a new day of travel influences (to a greater or lesser extent depending on the importance you give to it and the budget you have to dedicate to this part) to make it more special so we hope we have helped you to have clearer ideas and…. Have a good stay, Randomtripper!