The Nordeste scenic drive takes you to the wild, green far East of São Miguel, the oldest, least developed and most flower-filled corner of the island, where waterfalls tumble through fern valleys, manicured clifftop viewpoints hang over the Atlantic, and the roads are blissfully quiet. This is the part of the island most day-trippers rush or skip, which is exactly why it rewards those who take it slowly with a hire car. The Nordeste scenic drive is a full day of sunrise viewpoints, the island’s oldest lighthouse, a first-settlement village and one of the loveliest waterfall walks in the Azores, and this guide maps the whole route, stop by stop.
Known as the Wild East, the Nordeste region sits at the far eastern end of São Miguel, roughly an hour from Ponta Delgada and easily paired with Furnas. Public transport barely reaches it and buses run only a few times a day, so a hire car is essential to link the spread-out viewpoints, villages and waterfalls. A small car suits the narrow mountain and coast roads best, prices for car hire in São Miguel start from around £12 per day in the low season, and there are no tolls anywhere on the island.
The Nordeste Scenic Drive at a Glance
| Stage | Road | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Furnas | EN1-1A | Start point, over the crater rim |
| Salto do Cavalo | EN1-1A | Viewpoint over Furnas lake and both coasts |
| Povoação | EN1-1A | The island’s first settlement, Sete Lombas |
| Faial da Terra | Detour | Salto do Prego waterfall walk, Sanguinho |
| Ribeira dos Caldeirões | EN1-1A | Waterfalls and old watermills, family stop |
| Ponta do Sossego | EN1-1A | Manicured clifftop sunrise viewpoints |
Distance: roughly 120km round trip from Ponta Delgada. Driving time: about 3 hours moving, but allow a full day. Best for: quiet roads, clifftop viewpoints, waterfalls and the island’s wildest scenery. Gateway: Ponta Delgada Airport (PDL), about an hour from the heart of Nordeste.
On This Page
- The Drive, Stop by Stop
- Where to Eat in the Wild East
- The Oldest Corner of Sao Miguel
- When to Go and How Long to Allow
- Getting There: Your Gateway
- Driving Tips for the Wild East
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Nordeste Scenic Drive, Stop by Stop
1. Miradouro do Salto do Cavalo
The Nordeste scenic drive climbs east out of Furnas to its first great viewpoint, Miradouro do Salto do Cavalo, perched high on the crater rim. On a clear day it is one of the best panoramas on the island: the Furnas lake and valley spread out on one side, and the green ridges of the Sete Lombas roll away toward both the North and South coasts on the other. It is often the first place to catch cloud, so if it is misty here, press on and come back, the East clears differently.
There is roadside parking and a short walk to the platform. From the same ridge, the nearby Salto do Cavalo also looks down over the region known as the Sete Lombas, and on the clearest days you can trace the coastline all the way from the eastern tip back toward Furnas, a fine orientation to the drive ahead.
2. Povoação
Dropping down to the coast brings you to Povoação, which means settlement, and with good reason: this is where the first Portuguese settlers landed and founded São Miguel in 1449, making it the oldest town on the island. The hillside above town is carved into the Sete Lombas, seven distinct green ridges that are the symbol of Povoação. Povoação is a workaday, genuinely Azorean town rather than a tourist spot, with a handsome church, and good, honest restaurants for an early lunch on the Nordeste scenic drive.
Just along the coast, the fishing village of Ribeira Quente has a sheltered black-sand beach, Praia do Fogo, that is one of the warmest swimming spots on the island, worth a short detour on a hot day.
3. Faial da Terra and Salto do Prego
A short detour inland from the coast road leads to the tiny village of Faial da Terra, the trailhead for one of the loveliest short walks in the Azores. The Salto do Prego trail is a well-marked loop of about 4km that leads through fern forest to a beautiful waterfall with a swimmable pool, passing the restored, almost deserted hamlet of Sanguinho along the way. Be honest with yourself about this one: it is a proper walk of roughly two hours round trip with some ups and downs, not a roadside viewpoint, so wear proper shoes or simply admire the village and move on if you would rather keep the day gentle.
4. Ribeira dos Caldeiroes Natural Park
Back on the main road, Ribeira dos Caldeiroes is the green heart of the Nordeste scenic drive and its most family-friendly stop. Here a series of waterfalls tumble past a cluster of restored stone watermills set among hydrangeas, cryptomeria and dense Macaronesian greenery, with short flat paths, picnic tables, a garden and a childrens playground. The main waterfall is only steps from the car park, so everyone can enjoy it, while a network of short side trails, once used by the mill workers, reveals quieter cascades and stone bridges for those who want to wander.
It is free to visit, with picnic areas and a childrens playground, and it is the one stop on the drive that suits every age and mobility, from a quick roadside look at the main falls to a longer wander among the mills.
5. Nordeste Village and Farol do Arnel
The far corner holds the village of Nordeste itself, with its fine Igreja de São Jorge and the elegant Ponte dos Sete Arcos, the Bridge of Seven Arches, one of the prettiest in the archipelago and best seen in the flowering months, when the hydrangeas that the Nordeste scenic drive is famous for frame it in blue and white. From here a steep, narrow lane drops to Farol do Arnel, the oldest lighthouse in the Azores, built in 1876, standing white against the black cliffs at the island’s eastern tip.
The drive down is not for the faint-hearted but the setting is spectacular, and the viewpoint above it, Miradouro da Ponta do Arnel, gives the classic shot without the descent. If you do drive down, go slowly and give way to anyone coming up, as the single-track lane has few passing places, and check that it is open, as it occasionally closes in bad weather.
6. Ponta do Sossego and Ponta da Madrugada
The Nordeste scenic drive saves its most famous stops for the coast road north: the twin clifftop viewpoints of Ponta do Sossego and Ponta da Madrugada. Both are beautifully landscaped miradouros with terraced flower gardens, stone shelters and picnic areas set on green cliffs plunging into the Atlantic, and both are laid out to catch the sunrise, Ponta da Madrugada, whose name means daybreak, is said to have the finest sunrise on the island. Even in daylight they are the loveliest formal viewpoints in the Azores, and the natural high note to end the drive on.
Between the two, keep an eye out for the whale-watching lookouts along this stretch of coast, such as the Vigia da Baleia near Algarvia with its replica of a traditional spotters hut, a reminder of the days before the Azores ended commercial whaling in the 1980s. On calm days the ocean here can be mirror-flat, and it is one of the best places on the island to spot whales and dolphins from dry land.
Where to Eat on the Nordeste Scenic Drive
The Wild East is thin on tourist restaurants, which is part of its charm, so plan your lunch stop around Povoação or Nordeste village, the two main towns on the Nordeste scenic drive. As ever in the Azores, check opening hours out of season, as options are limited.
In Povoação, look for the local bakeries selling the town’s famous fofas and massa sovada, sweet Azorean breads that Povoação is known for across the island, and simple family restaurants serving grilled fish and meat. In Nordeste village there are a handful of good, honest spots for a traditional Azorean lunch of beef, limpets or fresh fish. Pack water and snacks too, as the viewpoints and the Salto do Prego trail have no facilities, and a picnic at Ribeira dos Caldeiroes or Ponta do Sossego, with the flower gardens around you and the Atlantic below, is one of the simple pleasures of the day and costs nothing.
The Oldest Corner of Sao Miguel
Often called the tenth island for how distinct it feels from the rest of São Miguel, the Nordeste is the geologically oldest part of the island, and it feels it. While the crater lakes of Sete Cidades and the geothermal valley of Furnas sit on younger, still-restless volcanoes, the Wild East was built by ancient eruptions long since gone quiet, then carved by rain and rivers into the steep green valleys and knife-edge ridges you drive through today.
Pico da Vara, the island’s highest peak at 1,103 metres, rises here, and its slopes hold the last stronghold of the Azores bullfinch, one of Europe’s rarest birds, saved from the brink by decades of conservation work; the official Azores tourism board has more on the region’s nature and trails.
Human history runs just as deep. Povoação was the first landing place of the Portuguese settlers in the 1440s, and the Wild East grew as a remote farming and fishing region, cut off from the rest of the island by its mountains until modern roads arrived. That isolation is why it stayed so green, so flowery and so unspoiled, the hydrangea-lined lanes, the manicured viewpoints and the old watermills are the legacy of a corner of the island that time, and mass tourism, largely passed by. Driving the Nordeste scenic drive is the best way to feel that older, quieter São Miguel.
When to Go and How Long to Allow
The Wild East is the greenest and most flower-filled part of São Miguel, and it is at its most spectacular from late spring into summer, when the hydrangeas bloom along every lane and the roadside gardens are in full colour. Summer also brings longer days and calmer seas, good for the whale-watching lookouts along the coast. That said, the Nordeste catches a lot of rain, which is exactly why it is so lush, so pack a layer and be ready for the weather to change, and treat a clear day as the moment to go for the viewpoints; it is worth checking the live webcams at spotazores.com before setting off.
Allow a full day for the Nordeste scenic drive. It is the longest of the São Miguel drives, around 120km round trip from Ponta Delgada, and the joy of it is not rushing. An early start lets you catch the sunrise viewpoints at Ponta da Madrugada or Ponta do Sossego at their best, or simply gives you time to add the Salto do Prego waterfall walk without watching the clock. The drive pairs naturally with a night or two based in Furnas or Povoação, which puts you right at the western edge of the Wild East.
Getting to Nordeste: Your Gateway
Every visitor to São Miguel arrives through Ponta Delgada Airport (PDL), also called João Paulo II, just west of the capital and about an hour from the heart of Nordeste. This is the furthest corner of the island from the airport, and with buses running only a few times a day, a hire car is essential for the Nordeste scenic drive. Many visitors combine the Wild East with Furnas, which sits at its western edge, so it is worth reading our Furnas guide too if you plan to link the two into one big eastern day.
Compare cheap car hire in São Miguel in a single search from around £12 per day, and for the wider archipelago see our car hire in the Azores guide. Remember you hire a separate car on each island, as rentals cannot cross between the islands on the ferries.
Driving Tips for the Wild East
The roads on the Nordeste scenic drive are good but this is the island’s most remote region, so a few things are worth knowing. The mountain and coast roads are narrow and winding, with some steep descents such as the lane to Farol do Arnel, so keep your speed down, use a low gear downhill, and a small car is far easier than a large one. You drive on the right. Fill the tank in Furnas or Povoação before you head into the far East, as fuel stations are sparse out here. Parking is easy at the viewpoints and parks. There are no tolls anywhere on the island.
Two practical notes make the Wild East go smoothly. Because it is so far from Ponta Delgada, start early and carry water, snacks and a layer, facilities are few once you leave the towns. And check the forecast: the Nordeste is the rainiest part of the island, so if the day is clear, prioritise the viewpoints early before any cloud builds, and save the sheltered waterfall park for later.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the Nordeste scenic drive take?
Allow a full day. It is about 3 hours of driving for the roughly 120km round trip from Ponta Delgada, the longest of the Sao Miguel drives, but the viewpoints, Povoação, Ribeira dos Caldeiroes and the optional Salto do Prego walk easily fill the day.
Is Nordeste worth visiting?
Yes. Nordeste, the Wild East, is the greenest, quietest and least developed part of Sao Miguel, with the island’s finest clifftop viewpoints, its oldest lighthouse and first settlement, and beautiful waterfalls. It is the corner most day-trippers miss, which is exactly why it is so rewarding on a self-drive.
Do I need a car for Nordeste?
Effectively yes. This is the most remote region of Sao Miguel, and buses run only a few times a day, so a hire car, or a guided tour, is the only practical way to link the spread-out viewpoints, villages and waterfalls of the Nordeste scenic drive in a single day.
Where is the best sunrise in Sao Miguel?
The clifftop viewpoints of Ponta da Madrugada and Ponta do Sossego in Nordeste are the island’s famous sunrise spots. Ponta da Madrugada, whose name means daybreak, is widely said to have the finest sunrise on Sao Miguel, and both are beautifully landscaped with gardens and shelters.
Is the drive to Nordeste difficult?
No, though it is long and remote, with narrow, winding mountain and coast roads and a few steep descents such as the lane to the Arnel lighthouse. A small car, a steady pace and a full tank are all you need. You drive on the right, and the Nordeste is more about distance and remoteness than difficult driving.
Can you do Furnas and Nordeste in one day?
You can, and they pair naturally, as the Nordeste scenic drive starts just above Furnas. It makes for a big day, though, so an early start helps, or better still base yourself in Furnas or Povoação for a night to enjoy both the geothermal valley and the Wild East without rushing.
Download the Nordeste Scenic Drive Guide
Download includes:
- The full Wild East route with all stops in driving order
- Safety and driving tips for the remote eastern roads
- The Salto do Prego walk note and sunrise viewpoint timings
- Ponta Delgada Airport gateway access guide
Drive the Wild East for Yourself
Quiet flower-lined lanes, clifftop sunrise viewpoints and the island’s oldest, greenest corner: the Nordeste scenic drive is São Miguel at its wildest and most peaceful, and a hire car with an early start is what makes it yours for the day. Compare cheap car hire in São Miguel from around £12 per day across trusted suppliers, and pick a clear morning to head East.
About the Author
Written by the Digitalhound.co.uk editorial team. Every guide is thoroughly researched with genuine local knowledge, road numbers, food stops and practical driving tips gathered from on-the-ground experience.