Sete Cidades and the blue-green crater basin
Published on 09/12/2026 at 12:29 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Sete Cidades near Ponta Delgada is a volcanic landscape centred on a broad collapse crater and two adjoining lakes. The place is defined by water, dark slopes and the rim that encloses them.
Sete Cidades and the caldera ring
The Caldeira das Sete Cidades is a huge, almost circular collapse crater with an average diameter of 5.3 km and a maximum depth of around 630 m. It is thought to have formed around 36,000 years ago, and the name Sete Cidades is tied to the volcanic massif west of São Miguel.Caldeira das Sete Cidades
The basin contains Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Verde, the blue and green lakes that dominate the centre of the crater. Around them lie other volcanic forms, including Lagoa Rasa, Lagoa de Santiago, Caldeira Seca, Caldeira do Alferes and Seara.Ramsar site
Volcanic forms inside the crater
The interior of Sete Cidades is not a single lake basin but a layered volcanic complex. The site includes a dozen smaller ponds and lakes, plus cones and craters within the larger depression.
That mix gives the landscape a strong sense of depth and variety. The eye moves from the broad crater wall to the smaller water bodies and the rougher volcanic mounds inside it.volcanic massif west
Protected landscape and geological status
Sete Cidades is a protected landscape and a Ramsar Site under the Wetlands Convention. It also forms part of the Azores UNESCO Global Geopark and the CORINE Biotope environmental project.UNESCO Global Geopark
The Ramsar designation covers the whole crater and catchment area of Sete Cidades on São Miguel, together with the smaller mountains of Serra Devassa. The site is mapped as a protected volcanic complex rather than as a single viewpoint.
Visiting Sete Cidades: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The landscape lies on São Miguel in the Azores, west of Ponta Delgada. Access is by road through the island’s western side.
- The crater has steep inner walls and a large enclosed floor. The basin also contains smaller cones and lake basins inside the main depression.
- The protected area includes the crater and catchment area of Sete Cidades, together with Serra Devassa. That wider setting matters because the volcanic complex extends beyond the best-known lakes.
- The official language is Portuguese and the currency is the euro.
Searching for Sete Cidades on social platforms
These links open searches for Sete Cidades on each platform.
Frequently asked questions about Sete Cidades
Where is Sete Cidades?
Sete Cidades lies on São Miguel in the Azores, within the municipality of Ponta Delgada. The volcanic complex sits on the western side of the island.
What does a visit reveal?
The main sight is a vast crater holding two linked lakes and several smaller volcanic features. The broader caldera shows cones, ponds and steep volcanic walls.
What makes Sete Cidades distinctive?
The contrast between the blue and green lakes is the best-known feature, but the setting is larger than that pair alone. It is a protected volcanic landscape with a formal Ramsar designation and geopark status.
