Lagoa do Congro

The Lagoa do Congro fills a small crater in the hills of central São Miguel, and unlike the island's famous lakes at Sete Cidades and Fogo it cannot be seen from above - it sits in a bowl closed by forest, so the only way to see it is to go down. A path of about ten to fifteen minutes drops steeply through dense vegetation, tree ferns and hydrangea, to the shore, where the water sits still and deep green under the crater walls with almost no sound. The colour comes from depth and reflected vegetation rather than minerals. It is small, and the walk back up is harder than the walk down. The track in from the road is rough and the parking area holds only a handful of cars, which has kept numbers lower than at the big lakes. The path is muddy in every season.

What you actually see

• The hidden lake - a crater pool invisible from above, enclosed by forest.
• The colour - still deep green water under the crater walls.
• The descent - ten to fifteen minutes down a steep path through tree ferns.
• The quiet - one of the few São Miguel water sites without coach traffic.

When to go

Year-round; drier from June to September, though the path stays muddy. One to two hours. Morning light reaches the water better than afternoon.

Honest expectations

The path is steep, slippery and muddy in every season - proper footwear is essential. The access track is rough for a low car and parking is minimal. Swimming is discouraged; the water is cold and the banks are steep. Mosquitoes near the shore.

Nearby

Furnas is east; Vila Franca do Campo and its islet are south on the coast.