São Miguel: Sea Caves & Volcanic Cliffs Boat Tour
Description
Depart from Rabo de Peixe, one of the most authentic fishing harbors in the Azores, and spend 2 hours exploring a coastline only reachable by sea. You'll pass towering volcanic cliffs, hidden caves and rock formations that no road or trail can get you to. Your first landmark is Areal de Santa Bárbara, the Azores' most famous surf beach, a completely different perspective from the water. Further along, hidden caves carved into the volcanic rock start appearing. When the sea allows, we go inside, the kind of moment that catches everyone off guard. Our crew knows every corner by name. The Priest Rock, the Indian Rock, formations that rise straight out of the ocean, each with a story. We reach Porto Formoso before heading back. By the time you step off the boat, you'll have seen a side of São Miguel that most visitors never do.
Tour Options
Itinerary
One of the most unique fishing harbors in the Azores. Watch local fishermen preparing their boats, sorting their lines and bringing in the fresh catch, the real Azores, before you even leave the harbor.
One of the most iconic surf beaches in the Azores, drawing surfers from all over the world to Ribeira Grande, the surf capital of the islands. You won't set foot on the sand, but seeing it from the water gives you a perspective that no one on the beach ever gets.
Ponta do Cintrão is a dramatic headland on São Miguel’s north coast, offering towering cliffs, unique lava formations, and panoramic ocean views. It marks one of the island’s most striking coastal points.
Santa Iria Port is a small, hidden harbor with crystal-clear waters, once used by locals for fishing and sea access. Today, it’s a peaceful, scenic spot tucked below the Santa Iria cliffs.
Porto Formoso Port is a small, traditional fishing harbor nestled in a scenic bay, known for calm waters, colorful boats, and its proximity to the island’s famous tea plantations.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(55)
despite the overcast sky, the tour was beautiful. Wish it was longer!! The captain of the boat was SUPER nice and took such good care of this lady who was throwing up multiple times.
Thank you so much Sherry! We're really glad the tour was beautiful despite the weather, and that you felt so well taken care of, that's exactly the kind of experience we want everyone to have.
The experience was great! The coastline and caves were amazing! We were even lucky enough to see dolphins! The gps took us a very peculiar way to get to the parking but the experience was well worth it!
Thank you so much! Dolphins are always a special bonus, you were lucky. So glad the experience was well worth it and hope to see you again!
It’s short enough that it doesn’t take the whole day and can plan other things, and you get a nice look at the north side of the island and the lava rocks/caves
Thank you so much! We're glad it fit nicely into your day and that you got to see the north coast and the lava caves. Hope to see you again!
My favorite experience from the Azores! The scenery was amazing and would highly recommend.
Thank you so much! We're so happy it was your favourite experience, that truly means a lot to us. Hope to welcome you back again one day!
A highlight of our trip so far.
Thank you so much for the kind words! We're thrilled to hear it was a highlight of your trip, that means everything to us. Hope the rest of your time was just as memorable!
This was such a fun part of our trip! We loved seeing the island from the boat. It was really cool to learn about some of the geology of the Azores. Our guide and captain were great and able to squeeze us into some of the caves which was so cool. Definitely recommend!
Thank you so much, Christina! We're thrilled you had such a fun and memorable experience with us. Hope to welcome you back on board soon!
We had an awesome time on the boat checking out the coastline and sea caves from a perspective many don’t ever see. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much, Ashley! We love that you got to see the coastline and sea caves from a perspective few get to experience. Hope to welcome you back with us soon!
really interesting trip with good comments from our guide, beautiful views of Sao Miguel you can't see from the coast. good organisation
Thank you so much, Victoria! We're glad you enjoyed the views and found the experience well organised. Hope to welcome you back with us soon!
Sara was a wonderful guide sharing the background & history of the island’s northern coast. The scenery is stunning and Pedro, our captain kept us entertained with his wxpert navigation skills.
Thank you so much, Kathryn! We're delighted Sara and Pedro made your experience so special. Hope to welcome you back with us soon!
We had a wonderful experience on this boat tour. From start to finish, everything was very well organized. The meet-up, check-in, and safety briefing all went smoothly, and we felt well taken care of before we even left the port. The tour itself was fantastic. The scenery along São Miguel's north coast was absolutely breathtaking, with stunning views that you simply can't get from land. We were especially lucky with sea conditions, which were calm enough for us to enter a couple of the sea caves. That was definitely a highlight of the trip. Our guide shared interesting information and pointed out key sights without constantly talking, which allowed everyone to fully appreciate the beauty of the coastline. We also felt safe and comfortable on the boat throughout the tour. As my nine-year-old put it: "It was amazing! I liked the caves. And Captain Pedro was awesome."
Thank you so much for this wonderful review! It truly warms our hearts to know the whole family had such a memorable experience, especially your nine-year-old's seal of approval for Captain Pedro and the caves, that made our day! Hope to welcome you all back on board someday soon.
