Azores Bus Independent transit guide

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Planning guide

Hiking by bus: trails with a printed stop at each end

A walk that starts and ends at a printed bus stop is the only kind this page recommends. São Miguel has three of them that work on the current timetables, one that works on school days only, and several famous trails that have no bus at either end.

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The short answer

The Sete Cidades caldera can be walked from the village and back to the same lakes stop, with the weekday 205 in at 09:30 and the 17:15 line 206 shuttle out [source, source]. Furnas and its lake are walkable between the 110's arrival at Águas Quentes at 08:45 and its 17:10 return, or the 318's stops in the village every day [source, source]. The Salto do Prego waterfall trail starts at Faial da Terra, where line 326 from the Povoação terminal is printed at 13:50 and returns at 14:15 on weekdays, and at 16:55 on school days [source]. The Mosteiros to Sete Cidades climb down the caldera can be done one way with the 206 to Mosteiros and the 208 or 205 out of the village, on the days each is printed [source, source].

205 Ponta Delgada – Sete Cidades (via Candelária) Weekdays: 4 trips 08:25–18:50 · 3 trips 07:00–12:00 206 Ponta Delgada – Sete Cidades (via Candelária e Mosteiros) Weekdays: 11 trips 07:50–18:50 · 9 trips 06:15–17:35 110 Ponta Delgada – Furnas Weekdays: 2 trips 07:15–15:00 · 2 trips 09:10–17:10 318 Ponta Delgada – Povoação Weekdays: 4 trips 09:00–16:00 · 5 trips 06:40–16:00 326 Povoação – Água Retorta Weekdays: 5 trips 13:30–18:10 · 3 trips 07:15–16:40

Step by step

Sete Cidades rim, from the village

Out on the 205 at 08:25 (Sete Cidades (Lagoas) 09:30); walk up to the rim from the village and back down; return on the 17:15 line 206 shuttle to Ramal Mosteiros (Merendário) at 17:35 and on from there at 17:45 on the 206 (Alfândega 18:40) or the 208 (Marina 19:05) [source, source, source]. That is roughly seven and a half hours in the crater on a weekday. At weekends the 208 gives 09:00 to 16:25 on Saturdays and 10:30 to 18:05 on Sundays in the village [source].

Mosteiros to Sete Cidades, one way

The 206 arrives at Mosteiros (Banda de Além) at 08:55 on weekdays and Saturdays and 10:08 on Sundays; the climb from the coast up into the crater ends at the village, from which the 205 shuttle at 12:00 (weekdays, to Várzea) or the 208 at 16:25 (Saturdays) and 18:05 (Sundays) lead out [source, source, source]. On weekdays the 17:15 line 206 shuttle from the lakes is the late option [source].

Furnas lake circuit

The 110 is at Furnas (Águas Quentes) at 08:45 every day and leaves the same stop at 17:10; the 318 prints Furnas (Lagoa) on the lakeshore road at 10:24 on its 09:00 trip [source, source]. The lake circuit and the village hot springs fit between those times. Returns on the 318 leave Furnas (Polícia) at 16:19 on weekdays and 17:18 at weekends [source].

Salto do Prego from Faial da Terra

Reach the Povoação terminal on the 318 (09:00 from Alfândega, terminal 10:50, every day) then take the 326 to Faial da Terra (Igreja) at 13:50 on weekdays; the 326 returns from Faial da Terra (Igreja) at 14:15 every weekday and at 16:55 on school days [source, source]. The gap between 13:50 and 16:55 is the walk. On Tuesdays and Thursdays line 112 also passes Faial da Terra at 10:37 towards Povoação and 15:28 towards Nordeste [source]. The 318 back from the Povoação terminal leaves at 16:00 on weekdays and 17:00 at weekends [source].

Nordeste

The 105 prints Ribeira dos Caldeirões, the waterfall park, at 08:16 on its 06:45 trip every day, and the return passes the same stop at 16:51 on weekdays and 16:52 on Sundays [source]. The trails above Nordeste around Pico da Vara have a printed stop only at Algarvia (Pico da Vara) on the 105, and the summit is a serious walk from the road [source].

What goes wrong

Trailheads on the coast roads look close to bus stops on a map and are not. Lagoa do Fogo has no stop at all, and the Sete Cidades rim viewpoints are a climb from the village stop; on a weekday the last bus out of the village is the 17:15 shuttle, whatever time the walk finishes [source, source].

Not reachable by bus

Lagoa do Fogo, the Vista do Rei rim, Ponta da Ferraria and Salto do Cabrito have no printed stop on any line [source].

Lines in this guide

Places: Sete Cidades · Furnas · Faial da Terra · Nordeste · Mosteiros

Quick answers

Can I hike Sete Cidades using the bus?

Yes on weekdays with the 205 in at 09:30 and the 17:15 line 206 shuttle out (change at the Mosteiros junction), and at weekends with the 208 [source, source, source].

Is there a bus to the Salto do Prego trail?

Line 326 from the Povoação terminal is printed at Faial da Terra (Igreja) at 13:50 on weekdays; the return is at 14:15 every weekday and 16:55 on school days [source].

Can I reach Lagoa do Fogo trailheads by bus?

No line prints a stop at the lake; the south-coast lines stop in Água de Pau and Ribeira Chã at the foot of the massif [source].

Carry the timetable

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Sources