ATV Riding Sete Cidades: Drive Off-Road Volcanic Trails

Buggy, volcanic crater, four lagoons and the Wall of the Nine Windows in one morning

ATV riding activity near Ponta Delgada where you drive your own buggy through on and off-road trails around the Sete Cidades volcanic crater, a 5km-wide caldera with four connected lagoons inside. The guide handles navigation and safety briefing. You choose between a 2-seat or 4-seat buggy at checkout. Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, pregnancy or poor cardiovascular health. Children welcome from age 6.

Step-by-step itinerary

Buggy tour of Sete Cidades crater

• Briefing on ATV driving and safety
• Visit Wall of the Nine Windows aqueduct
• View Lagoa de Santiago, Rasa, Verde, Azul
• Stop at Cumeeiras viewpoint of Sete Cidades crater
• Explore Sete Cidades caldera and lagoons
• End of tour

The experience

You start with a safety briefing and driving instructions, then take the wheel of your own buggy through a mix of on and off-road trails. The route climbs to 845 meters, where the rim of the Sete Cidades caldera opens up in front of you: a volcanic crater roughly 5km across and 400m deep, ringed by four lagoons connected to each other. Lagoa Verde and Lagoa Azul are the ones in the postcards, their colors shifting with the angle of light and the vegetation reflected in them. The guide leads the way and handles the route. You navigate the terrain.

Two stops break up the drive. The first is the Wall of the Nine Windows, an aqueduct built between the 17th and 18th centuries near Devassa Mountain to carry water into Ponta Delgada. The arches still stand, restored to their original form. The second stop is at Cumeeiras, a viewpoint on the opposite side of the crater from Vista do Rei, where you can see both the lagoons and the northern coast of São Miguel with its green pastures. The ride takes about three and a half hours total, and the group stays small: either four or two people per buggy, depending on which option you pick at checkout.

What’s included

• Tour guide in English or Portuguese.
• helmet, gloves and fuel.
• insurance coverage.
• choice of 2-seat or 4-seat buggy.

Options for this experience

2 options

Buggy tour for 4 seatsUp to 12 per booking · Guide in English or Portuguese · 08:30 and 13:30

Buggy tour for 2 seatsUp to 6 per booking · Guide in English or Portuguese · 08:30 and 13:30

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:30 and 13:30

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Child (6 to 12 years) · Under 6: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Moderate physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by 4x4 Azores

Is this one for you?Book the 2-seat buggy if you want to drive alone or with one other person and have more control over your own pace. The 4-seat option works better for small groups who want to share the cost and ride together.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Portuguese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 12 years). Children under 6 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the Sete Cidades crater actually like when you get there?

The Sete Cidades caldera is a volcanic crater roughly 5km in diameter and 400m deep, ringed by four connected lagoons: Lagoa de Santiago, Lagoa Rasa, Lagoa Verde and Lagoa Azul. The two blue and green lagoons are the main postcard of Azores tourism and one of Portugal's seven natural wonders in the aquatic category. Their colors come from the depth, size and vegetation reflected in them rather than from minerals in the water.

What's included in the buggy rental?

The tour includes a guide, helmet, gloves, fuel and insurance. You choose between a 2-seat or 4-seat buggy when you book.

How long does the whole activity take?

The activity runs about three and a half hours from start to finish, including the safety briefing, the drive through the trails and the two viewpoint stops.

What is the Wall of the Nine Windows?

The Wall of the Nine Windows is a 17th- or 18th-century aqueduct near Devassa Mountain that was built to carry water into Ponta Delgada and solve water shortages in the parish of Santo António. The arches, called "Nine Windows", passed water captured from the Canário lake area and were restored to their original form after progressive degradation.

Do I need driving experience to book this?

The operator provides a full safety briefing and driving instructions before you start, so no prior buggy experience is required. You do need a moderate level of physical fitness and should be comfortable operating the vehicle on mixed terrain.