Ultimate Guide To The Breathtaking Serra Devassa Hike on São Miguel, Azores

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If you are spending more time on São Miguel, be sure to check out our full itinerary on how we spent our time on the island!

Azores Webcams

Check the weather before heading out each day. Conditions on São Miguel can change quickly and vary from one part of the island to another. To improve your chances of clear views, use the local webcams for real-time conditions.

You can access the webcams here and here! Our favorite is the first link, which is overlaid on a map of the islands, which is perfect for planning your day.

Serra Devassa Hike

We did not know what to expect on this hike, but it turned out to be one of the most fun hikes that we completed on São Miguel! The official trail is PRC5 SMI – Serra Devassa. This is a 2.5-3-mile loop with about 600 feet of elevation gain, so it’s one of the easier hikes that we completed here.

This scenic trail offers sweeping views over multiple lakes and surrounding calderas, with lush greenery and grazing cows (if you are lucky!) along the way. On clear days, you might even be rewarded with panoramic vistas stretching across the island and out to the Atlantic Ocean.

Parking & Restrooms

We recommend parking at the location here, right by Lagoa do Canário. This is a fairly large parking area with room for many cars. However, there are no permanent restrooms located here. That being said, there were porta-potties on the other side of the road.

Hike To The Viewpoint

Begin the hike right near the trailhead sign for PRC5 SMI in the parking lot. The first section of the hike gains steady elevation as you climb your way up to the amazing viewpoints. At about 0.2 miles in, you will cross a marshy area of the trail, but there is a bridge here to keep your feet dry.

Head around a sharp turn in the trail and head up the mountain. The trail gets very narrow and steep here with tall walls on both sides. After hiking a total of 0.4 miles, you will reach a fork in the trail. From here, follow the trail counter-clockwise to the right.

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Lagoa das Eguas Viewpoints

Continue hiking, following the trail that is perched up on a ridge. Due to the ever-changing weather in the Azores, it’s possible that the view here may not be clear, and you could be hiking in the clouds.

After hiking for about 1 mile, you’ll reach the highest point on this trail at Pico das Eguas. There are some pretty epic views along this span of trail that overlook the green grassy calderas. These may have water in them, or they might be dry, depending on the season.

The two lakes here are Lagoa das Eguas Norte and Lagoa das Eguas Sul. Be sure to stop and enjoy the scenery at the viewpoints along this section of the trail.

Viewpoints to Lago Rasa

Continue to follow the trail where you’ll lose a significant amount of elevation as you make your way to the banks of Lagoa Rasa. After hiking for about 0.5 miles, you’ll reach a small grot, or cave. Continue hiking past this spot, and Lagoa Rasa will appear on your left.

🌴 Looking for other epic views on the island? Don’t miss a trip to Lagoa do Fogo!

You can walk down toward the lake here, but please don’t get in the water. After enjoying some time here, head back to the trail and continue hiking around the lake. There is another trail junction here, but stay to the left.

Lagoa Rasa to Pico do Paul

After you make your way 0.2 miles to the other side of the lake, there are two options here. You can continue hiking the main trail through the forest and back to the parking lot, or you can take a short trail to Pico do Paul.

Hiking to Pico do Paul adds another 0.6 miles onto the 2.5-mile loop (making it about 3 miles total), and it’s really worth the extra trek! So, follow the signs for Pico do Paul, where you’ll walk on the “hydrangea highway” trail that leads up to this awesome viewpoint.

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The trail is covered on both sides with tall white and blue hydrangeas as you make your way up to the summit of the mountain here. When you reach the summit, enjoy the view of the surrounding area and the Atlantic Ocean. It’s beautiful!

Pico do Paul to the First Trail Junction

Head back down the hydrangea highway toward Lagoa Rasa. When you arrive at the lake, take the trail to the right that leads back into the forest. This section of the trail doesn’t provide much of a view, but there is some shade here that you’ll enjoy if it’s a warm day.

As you follow the trail, you’ll gain steady elevation as you hike toward the initial trail junction. It’s about 0.3 miles to the initial junction.

Junction to Parking Lot

When you arrive at the junction, take the trail straight. This should look familiar. If you take a left, the trail leads back to the viewpoints, so keep hiking down the hill, around the bend, and you’ll reach the parking lot.

Your hike here is now complete! At this point, if you have not already visited the Boca do Inferno viewpoint, we do recommend heading there. Additionally, there are some other options in the area that you can visit before heading back to Ponta Delgada.

We visited Boca do Inferno in the morning before this hike, so we made a plan to see Miradouro da Vista do Rei and then explore downtown Ponta Delgada.

🪷 São Miguel has some amazing waterfalls, and you can’t miss this hike to visit 2 of them.

Miradouro da Vista do Rei

Alright, alright! Along with the view at Boca do Inferno, Miradouro da Vista do Rei is another one that you must add to your list. Located on a cliff overlooking Lagoa Azul, Lagoa Verde, and Sete Cidades, you’ll have a really epic view of the blue and green lakes from above.

You have likely seen plenty of photos from this spot, so be prepared for a crowded location here. As you drive toward this destination, take the one-way road that leads to the parking areas and the abandoned Monte Palace hotel.

When you arrive, enjoy the views at the lake, but please don’t trespass on the Monte Palace property. You will see people doing just that, but there are plenty of signs that forbid trespassing, and this location is really not safe.

Monte Palace Hotel

The Monte Palace was built as a luxury five-star hotel in 1989. However, because the Azores were not a popular destination at the time, the hotel closed just 18 months after opening and fell into a state of disrepair.

Most recently, the hotel was acquired by an investor group that has proposed to restore and enlarge the hotel. That being said, this proposal relies on future permits from the Azorean Government, and the hotel sits as is for now.

Ahhhh, if only we had enough funds to acquire such a property with epic views like you see here. One can dream, right?

Final Thoughts

Serra Devassa was a really fun hike. At the start of our trek, the weather was pretty foggy, so we were not sure what we would actually see from the trail. Luckily, as we climbed in elevation, the views opened up, and the clouds came and went.

Hiking on the ridge trail after the first junction was breathtaking. So many cool views all around, and this is definitely unique scenery in the Azores. We initially did not take the extra hike to Pico do Paul, but we could see all the hydrangeas that lined the trail and had to turn around. This little spur trail was so cool and definitely worth it. Don’t skip Pico do Paul.

Lastly, a visit to São Miguel isn’t complete without a trip to Miradouro da Vista do Rei. Such an awesome viewpoint and no effort to see it! Finally, we headed back to Ponta Delgada to walk around the downtown area and grab a bite to eat.