Miradouro da Boca do Inferno – The Most Iconic Viewpoint in the Azores
The Miradouro da Boca do Inferno viewpoint is probably the most iconic photo spot from the Azores, and guess what? We never even got to see it!
Despite being there, we did not have the best weather conditions, and our mission was unsuccessful. In this post, we’ll share how you can prepare better than we did so you can make sure you get to see this stunning view with your own eyes.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know before hiking and visiting the iconic Boca do Inferno viewpoint!
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What you need to know about the Boca do Inferno Viewpoint
Quick breakdown of your trip:
- 🚗 Getting there: Boca do Inferno is 30 minutes northwest of Ponta Delgada. Go by rental car or on a guided tour
- 🎟️ Fees: There are no fees to hike to the viewpoint
- 🏨 Where to stay: You’ll be close to the trailhead if you stay in either Ponta Delgada or Sete Cidades (limited accommodation)
- ☀️ Best time to visit: May through October
- 👩🏼⚕️ Travel insurance: Make sure you’re protected on your trip. Get travel medical insurance for as little as $2.1/day ✈️
Along with Sete Cidades and the Blue and Green Lagoons, the Miradouro da Boca do Inferno is one of the highlights of São Miguel!
In this post, we share all the information you need to do this stunning viewpoint hike from how to get there, what to bring, where to stay nearby, and how to best prepare so you get the right weather conditions (important).
This guide is based on you doing the trip on your own with a rental car, but if you don’t drive, it is also possible to do this hike on a guided tour.
How to get to the Miradouro da Boca do Inferno
From Ponta Delgada to the Boca do Inferno parking lot it’s roughly a 30-minute drive. You’ll mostly be driving on countryside roads next to the many many green hills with cows grazing on them. While the road might be a bit more narrow than you’re used to, it’s pretty chill.
After a while, you’ll start to go up hill on a slightly windy road, and there are some amazing viewpoints along this stretch. Make sure you pull over at Miradouro do Pico do Carvão for a minute to take in the incredible view of the volcanoes and the Atlantic Ocean!
Once you’ve enjoyed the view, you can continue over to the trailhead and parking lot for the hike! You can find the directions to the trailhead parking lot here.
Once you get there, you’ll find a big parking lot where you’ll start the hike from. The trailhead is just across the street. It’s easy to find as there’s a big map and a gate which is the entrance to the trail that will take you up to the Boca do Inferno Viewpoint!
If you need a rental car, you can use this widget to find one via DiscoverCars:
Practical information about the Boca do Inferno hike
Distance: 2.9 km one way / 1.8 miles return
Elevation: 118 m / 387 ft. elevation gain
Type: In-and-out trail (we did it as a loop trail, though)
Length: 1 hour (with time to enjoy the view)
Difficulty: Moderate
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Cell service: You should have cell service but can be spotty
Click here to see a trail map for Boca do Inferno on Sao Miguel Island
Hiking Tip: Look up the trail on AllTrails before starting your hike 🗺️. You can find important trail information, such as recent wildlife sightings and trail closures. Check out the free version here or get a 7-day free trial of AllTrails+ here.
Here’s a picture of the beginning of Boca do Inferno
Starting the hike from the Boca do Inferno Parking lot
Once you’ve parked your car, you’ll see an entrance gate across the street from the parking lot where the hike begins. You’ll see a big green gate, which might be closed; if so, simply walk around it on the right side, where you’ll come to a nice man-made path.
Follow the signs that say “Grota do Inferno” (same viewpoint, two different names).
The trail itself is stunning, with the red shale path and the row of trees on either side (good photo spot). Our photos give it a very moody vibe because there was no good window of good weather.
We tried to time it and come to Sete Cidades on a nice day, but we also had a whale watching tour planned, and a canyoning tour – so unfortunately, the timing just didn’t work out.
Regardless of the weather, the trail inside the forest is beautiful and easy to follow. Pretty early on, you’ll want to stay left as the trail splits in two.
You’ll see signs to Lagoa do Canario, which is worth the stop as it’s on the way. It’s a little detour so go down to the lake, enjoy the view, and then go back up. This should add maybe 15 minutes to your hike.
While the trail is fairly easy to navigate, we suggest downloading the Alltrails Map for the Miradouro on your phone beforehand, as the reception up here can be somewhat spotty.
Continue to the Miradouro da Boca do Inferno
A fun little fact, the word “Miradouro” means “viewpoint”. We learnt this while spending quite a bit of time in Madeira and seeing “Miradouros” everywhere. So if you see a sign saying that word, it’s probably worth a visit!
After checking out the Canario Lake, you’ll continue towards the viewpoint. It’s quite straightforward and it’s a super easy trail to walk on.
You’ll eventually pass some picnic tables that you can take a quick rest at if needed before the last stretch to the viewpoint.
The viewpoint is not far from here but the last stretch includes some stairs and a bit of an uphill walk before you finally get to the view you’ve been waiting for!
Enjoy the view from the stunning Boca do Inferno Viewpoint
I love that last 100 meters to the viewpoint because you walk on this narrow trail on the ridge of the mountain out to the viewpoint and it looks so cool!
(And no, it’s really not as scary as it sounds. There’s railings and vegetation on either side of you, so as long as you start on the marked trail, you’re good).
There are a few great spots nearby to take in the view of both lakes, but there’s a reason why the Miradouro da Boca do Inferno is the most iconic one.
And now you’ve made it! We hope you get an incredible view overlooking Lagoa Verde and Lagoa Azul and take in the view twice as long to make up for what we missed out on!
A different way back to the car park (alt. option)
While a lot of people take the same way back they came from, it is possible to continue the track as a loop instead.
We didn’t actually know about this until we saw the signs from the viewpoints. Since we had time and we came prepared, we decided to take the “lesser-known path.”
We are so glad we did because this trail that leads back to the carpark actually feels a bit more like “hiking” than the nice easy trail you take to get to the viewpoint.
It’s quite easy to find this trail… As soon as you get back up from the little ridge section with railings on either side, you will see a path that goes to the right. Instead of going back into the forest, you will veer off to the right and continue on that trail.
It doesn’t take much longer to get back to the car if you do decide to take this trail back. I’d just say it’s a bit more exciting and adventurous than going back the same way, is all.
It’s a beautiful little trail that takes you on a bit of a different scenic experience! Eventually, you’ll get to the road, and you will have to walk a few minutes up the road to get back to the car park. Obviously be careful on this stretch and keep an eye out for cars.
But once you get there, you’ve completed the hike and hopefully got an amazing view!
What to bring on the Boca do Inferno hike
This is a short and sweet viewpoint hike that should take you roughly an hour to complete, which means you don’t need to pack a whole lot.
Personally, a water bottle, good footwear, and the right clothes should be enough to enjoy this hike – but if you like being super prepared or you’re doing a full day trip out west, these are the things we suggest you bring!
Packing list for hiking in São Miguel:
- Water. There’s nowhere to fill up your bottles on the trail, so fill up beforehand. Our LifeStraw bottles and Nalgene water bottles have been our go-to bottles over the years.
- Sunscreen!! On a nice sunny day you definitely need this since a good chunk of the hike is fully exposed to the sun.
- While they’re not mandatory, hiking poles could come in handy on this one if it’s been raining lately as sections can get a bit muddy.
- A power bank is a good idea too, especially if you’re making a full day trip out of it, visiting Sete Cidades and Mosteiros as well (highly recommend!)
- Brings some snacks or food and enjoy it Lagoa do Canário or Lagoa Azul before or after the hike
- A windbreaker or an extra layer is a good idea! I remember it being nice and sunny by the blue lagoon, and once we gained all the elevation and started the hike it was quite chilly and windy as you can see in the pictures. So highly recommend bringing a windbreaker.
Before you go hiking to Miraduoro Boca do Inferno
Check the weather & webcams
All I can say is go on a nice, clear day! And know that the weather can be very different around the island. The weather can be beautiful and sunny in Ponta Delgada, but cloudy and rainy over by the viewpoint (or the other way around).
Check the weather forecast the day before to get an idea of the conditions, and then on the day of, check the webcams! If it’s looking foggy at Boca do Inferno, look for nearby Sete Cidades to get an idea of whether or not it could clear up.
It’s quite common that it’s more foggy and cloudy there but it can also clear up super quickly. So keep an eye out and then go when the conditions look good. There’s not much point in going if you don’t get “the view” from the famous miradouro!
We drove by a few times hoping it’d clear up as conditions improved down by Miraduoro do Rei just a few km away, but unfortunately not much luck. This could totally happen though, so keep an eye out on the webcams.
Wear proper shoes
Because of the trail conditions, we suggest wearing shoes with a good grip for this hike. In the summer, it could be Tevas but in the winter or after rainfall, hiking boots (like these Columbias that Josie has) will come in handt.
If you plan to do some of the bigger hikes around Sao Miguel or the other islands as well, it’s good to bring some proper boots.
Leave no trace
When you go hiking (and do other outdoor adventure activities), always remember to follow the 7 principles of leaving no trace.
This means:
- Plan and prepare
- Travel and camp on durable surfaces
- Dispose of waste properly
- Leave what you find
- Minimize campfire impacts
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of others
When is the best time to visit Boca do Inferno?
As for time of day, sunrise or sunset will be the most magical time! Sunrise requires a bit of planning and getting up early, so if that’s not your vibe, late afternoon can also be a great time to visit the Boca do Inferno Viewpoint.
If you go to the viewpoint in the afternoon, you can head over to Praia dos Mosteiros for sunset!
The main thing you really want to consider is the visibility, because with no visibility, I don’t know how worth it it is to hike up to the viewpoint (as you can see from our photos).
Check the weather for Sete Cidades the day before and then check the webcams before going to make sure the conditions look good.
📍 Want to know all the best spots in São Miguel?
We’re currently putting together a map with +75 locations around the island we know you’re gonna love. Join the waitlist and be the first to know when it’s ready for purchase! 🗺️
You may also like…
- 11 Best Things to Do on São Miguel, Azores (Guide for First-Timers)
- Azores Packing List: What do You Need to Bring?
- Incredible Whale Watching & Dolphin Tour in Ponta Delgada
- How to Rent a Car from Ponta Delgada Airport (São Miguel Island)
Final thoughts on the Miradouro da Boca do Inferno hike
A day trip to this side of São Miguel is a must! After maybe the whale watching tour from Ponta Delgada & the day trip to Furnas, this is definitely at the top of our list of things to do on the island.
We hope you have the best time exploring São Miguel and maybe some of the other Azorean Islands. I pray you have better weather than us when you hike up to the Miradouro because we sure didn’t get very lucky with the weather.
Enjoy the drive up to the viewpoint, enjoy Sete Cidades, and just have the best time exploring this awesome island! We fell in love with it during our short stay here and already can’t wait to come back and explore more.
If you have questions about the hike, travelling to the Azores, or wanna know more about the different activities here on the island, please reach out! You can DM us on Instagram @redwhiteadventures or leave a comment below, and we’ll help answer any questions you may have.
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