All West, Sete Cidades, Mosteiros, Ferraria - Private Tour
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Ponta Delgada, Portugal
- 5 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Get to know the western part of São Miguel on a half-day tour of the island. Alongside a private guide visit several points of interest including the Sete Cidades lakes, Inferno Grotto, and the Ferraria thermal pools. You also visit the darkest sand volcanic beach on the island, and in summer you can swim in the refreshing waters.
- Learn about São Miguel’s history from your guide
- Melt your stress away in the thermal pools
- Stop at small villages and scenic viewpoints
- A private tour means a personalized experience
What's Included
- Private transportation
- MealsNo meals included, but your guide can stop along the way for a coffee break if you would like to.
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
We pick up at any location on Ponta Delgada (including Cruise Ships and Airport), Ribeira Grande, Lagoa, Calhetas, Capelas, Candelária, Ginetes, Mosteiros and Sete Cidades areas. Other locations are subject to request, you might need to meet us at a meeting point, or pay an extra fee. Please inquiry. Pick-up time: 9:30 AM (if you need a different pick up time please advise) Please note we drive a 5 seat vehicles SUV type, we can take up to 4 participants per vehicle if it suits your group.
Operating hours.9:30 am
Itinerary
1
Miradouro da Boca do Inferno
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
2
Lagoa do Canario
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Lagoa de Santiago
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Vista do Rei Miradouro
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Monte Palace Hotel Ruins
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Lagoa Verde / Lagoa das Sete Cidades
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Miradouro da Ponta do Escalvado
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
8
Mosteiros
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
9
Mosteiros Beach
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
10
Ferraria
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
tammy_c
Carlos was such a joy to meet and talk with. He is a wealth of knowledge and information about the Island and was wonderful about accommodating the things we wanted to see. Would definitely ask for him again! Highly recommend.
Reviews
5.0
based on 60 reviews
Reinaldo_A, Nov 2025
It gave us a good taste of the west part of the island and made us want to return soon to continue exploring!
Deedielong, Nov 2025
This was an amazing private tour. Carlos was over the top we were in a cruise and we were delayed coming I. To the port. He was there waiting when we got off the ship. He was very informative and learned a lot about the area. We spent ample time at every stop and throughout enjoyed it all.
Laurie_K, Nov 2025
It was wonderful to see the island from a natives point of view. Carlos was full of knowledge and spoke perfect English. It was important to him that we got to see everything we wanted to see.
Jeffrey_R, Oct 2025
Fantastic tour, our guide was exceptional! Beautiful island, glad we did this tour since our time here was short, this was a stop on our cruise
Terri_H, Oct 2025
We had an amazing day thanks to our tour guide Rita! The weather was foggy & rainy but she tried her best to keep returning to the best views for pictures. We then had an amazing lunch of octopus , limpets & wine & she joined us at our request. Her love of the island is obvious & we learned so much about the Azores. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide or day! We hope to return one day to see the other islands in the Azores that were recommended by Rita! Great private tour!
Megan_L, Jun 2025
Amazing tour! We got to explore natural swimming pools and hot springs created by lava. Definitely would not have discovered this on our own. It was foggy weather for our tour but our guide did a great job of taking us to spots that would have the best visibility. She was a great driver, spoke great English and knew a lot of fun facts. Highly recommend the tour with Rita, a local azorean!
Steve_A, May 2025
Rita has lived on the island and knows the best spots like a local as you’d expect - she was great with the kids and we had a fab time with her as our guide.
tammy_c, May 2025
Carlos was such a joy to meet and talk with. He is a wealth of knowledge and information about the Island and was wonderful about accommodating the things we wanted to see. Would definitely ask for him again! Highly recommend.
janetbuckpitt, May 2025
We had a great private tour of the west of Sao Miguel with Rita. In the beginning the weather was very much against us but Rita persevered and showed us some beautiful locations. She was very friendly & easy to spend time with. Having lived on the island all her life, she was the perfect choice to show us around.
Rick_B, May 2025
Rita of the VIlla Varzea Tour Operator was an Amazing tour guide. We toured the West side of the San Miguel Island including many Miradouro's, Sete CIdades, Green/Blue Lake, a number of towns, Ocean viewpoints, Churches, the Azorean Pineapple Plantation, Ponta Delgada, and more. Rita was flexible, knowledgeable, had a great passion for her home, friendly, professional, and made this a great day! The car we took was perfect. We will be back in San Miguel soon and will take the East Side of the Island tour with Rita. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND this tour Operator and tour! The Viator team I worked with (most NOT ALL of their reservation customer service phone agents) were professional and helped quite a bit. Thank you Rita, Villa Varzea Tour Company and Viator! See you again!
Elizabeth_M, May 2025
Carlos was very knowledgeable in history and was able to give us a very informative tour of the island. He went above and beyond to make sure you got to experience everything you wanted to and show you the best views. I highly recommend you to use their services as they will make sure you get the chance to see the island at its peak views.
Carole_G, Apr 2025
Carlos was an excellent guide with a wealth of knowlege about the island and its history. He was very attentive to our needs and went out of his way to arrange the itinerary to give us the best views of the island We thoroughly enjoyed our day.
Tashalee_B, Mar 2025
We had an amazing private tour with Carlos exploring the west side of São Miguel and the stunning Sete Cidades volcano. From the start, he was incredibly accommodating—when we had to postpone due to illness, he made sure to reschedule without any stress, which we truly appreciated.
The weather that day was unpredictable, shifting between clouds, wind, and sunshine, but Carlos handled it all with ease. He adjusted the tour to make the most of the conditions, and in the end, we were rewarded with the most breathtaking views when the skies cleared. It was so windy at times, but that just added to the adventure!
Beyond his flexibility, Carlos’ deep knowledge of the island’s history, culture, and geology made the experience even more special. He shared fascinating stories and took us to incredible spots, some of which we never would have found on our own.
If you’re looking for a guide who’s not only knowledgeable but also patient, thoughtful, and passionate about what he does, Carlos is the one. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience and would absolutely book with him again!
John_L, Feb 2025
Excellent tour with guide Rita who was very knowledgeable and professional. Rita was very friendly and nothing was too much trouble.
FrancyneA_C, Feb 2025
Firstly would like to say that from the start to the end, not a glitch… then the best part was Carlos our wonderful guide who was like an encyclopedia, knows his island like the back of his hand
He spoiled us with his kindness, knowledge , he went way beyond what was expected
Thank you Carlos, you are a gem
Daphne_B, Nov 2024
Carlos was an amazing guide!!! He arrived on time, and was a wellspring of information. We discussed dozens of topics covering history, geology, population, politics, flora and fauna, and any other topic we proposed. What an educational, informative, and delightful tour. He adapted the schedule to our preferences and made us feel completely at home. I recommend his tour without reservation.
Marne_C, Nov 2024
This exceptional tour is a day-full of OMG views and authentically-local interactions. Best-ever guide RITA — who lives in the crater — took us to heart as she showed us the jaw-dropping views and verdant wonderland that is western São Miguel. Rita pickedup my wife and I right at our cruise ship’s dock. Then, for about six delightful hours Rita regaled us with the island’s history, AND gave us a native’s detailed perspective into life on the island. Start-to-finish, this was an excellent tour with world-class guideship by Rita, certainly among the best my wife and I have had in over forty years of travel. HIGHEST marks!
jenscaturro, Sep 2024
Our tour guide Rita was the absolute BEST! She picked us up at our hotel and brought us to the most amazing sites. She even worked the tour around the clouds. I would highly recommend this private tour.
Krystal_p, Sep 2024
The morning was chilly so we were nervous about getting in any water but the hot spring was AMAZING! Rita took us to all of the photo worthy spots. Our tour ended with the pineapple plantation, everything we tried was delicious. Rita did a great job telling us about each place we visited and even took us to a local Ice cream place when we mentioned we wanted a sweet treat!
Wendi_A, Aug 2024
Rita took us on the private tour and she was amazing! She told us so much about the island, and took us to great places. We asked her to pick us up a hour earlier due to later plans and she responded immediately that she could. She never rushed us. She is such a happy person and we felt like we were part of her family. We even asked to stop for a quick bite to eat and she stopped at a store for us. Our tour was perfect in every way. When we come back again we will ask for her.
John_S, Jul 2024
Rita was an AMAZING tour guide!!! She showed us so many wonderful sites on the tour. We really got a feel for how the people of the Azores live while also taking in the amazing sites and views. I 100% recommend this tour with Rita! If you are looking for an amazing tour guide book with Rita, she was the best guide during our vacation with many different tour guides!
Brandi_M, Jul 2024
This experience went to beyond our expectations. Rita was an excellent guide, and we felt immediately that she was going to give us the best experience we could have.
She put us to ease and was easily relatable and made the Entire experience even more enjoyable by having her as a guide. It felt like a truly personal opportunity to be able to get a first-hand experience from someone who lives on the island and was more than willing to tell us about her background and details of the island we never would’ve known otherwise.
HokMing_L, Jun 2024
Rita is a friendly and knowledgeable tour guide. We were lucky to have her guiding us through Sete Cidadas as she is the local living there. She showed us all the main sites as well as some of her secret places/viewpoints. She is a very good driver and very flexible with time & itinerary. She is a very brave young woman and we wish her and her family all the best.
Donna_N, Jun 2024
I can’t say enough about our amazing tour guide Rita. She gave us a thorough tour of the western side of Ponta Delgada. We had many stops, where we were able to view the beautiful scenery, and take lots of photos. Rita gave the history of the island and provided us with background on what it’s like living there today. We never felt rushed throughout the tour. This tour was booked as a cruise excursion. Rita was on time and waiting for us as we disembarked the ship, and returned us to the ship in a timely manner. This tour was a 10 out of 10.
Jennifer_H, Apr 2024
Rita was an amazing tour guide! The entire booking was easy, lots of communication beforehand and the day with Rita was a blast! We got to see so much in our one day in port and customize it to our preferences. 10/10 recommend for seeing as much of Ponta Delgada as possible.
Stephen_L, Apr 2024
Carlos (our tour driver & guide) had intimate knowledge of the Azores which he shared. Would highly recommend him and wished we had booked a whole day had the cruise schedule allowed.
LindaandRoger_F, Apr 2024
Having a private tour gave us flexibility and allowed us to make the best use of our limited time in port. Carlos is an outstanding guide who lived and studied in the United States and has deep roots in the Azores. We hope to tour with him again if we have the opportunity to visit the Azores.
Matthew_K, Apr 2024
Carlos was an absolutely incredible guide and the experience will never be forgotten. He was extremely knowledgeable and was a pleasure to learn from him. He was also very fun and is a delight to be around. The sites were outstanding and he gave us so many different perspectives of the views.
Walter_B, Apr 2024
Our guide Rita provided an excellent detailed personal tour of this beautiful island its people and history. She arrived on time and returned to our ship on time. We have many wonderful photos and memories to bring home. It is excellent value for the money compared to tours arranged by the cruise line. We highly recommend Viator and Rita for any future visits.
Shir_B, Apr 2024
Amazing locations and views. The tour guide, Rita was kind, professional, creative and we truly enjoyed.
Highly recommend!
From
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$127.92
per personWas $159.90
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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