São Miguel

The green island

Lagoa do Fogo

São Miguel Island (Portuguese for Saint Michael, Portuguese pronunciation: [sɐ̃w miˈɣɛɫ]), nicknamed "The Green Island" (Ilha Verde), is the largest and most populous island in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. The island covers 760 km2 (290 sq mi) and has around 140,000 inhabitants, with 45,000 people residing in Ponta Delgada, the archipelago's largest city.

Ponta Delgada Portas da Cidade
Pasturelands in the Picos Pasturelands in the Picos

The Azores archipelago sits in the mid-Atlantic and is an amazing destination as the volcanic islands offer up dramatic scenery and lots of options to get off the beaten path. Sao Miguel island is the largest and is where most people start their Azores vacation. Sao Miguel definitely feels like an island paradise. With several large crater lakes, hot springs, and Europe’s only tea plantations at Gorreana, Sao Miguel is worth spending a few days on.

Learn more about the island


Coded by Sandra Weber