Garoupa Canoe Tours

Garoupa Canoe Tours is a small family business that has rented paddle craft on Lagoa das Sete Cidades, in the west of São Miguel, since 2015. Its base sits on the lake shore just after the bridge that separates the Blue Lake from the Green Lake, inside the volcanic crater that is counted among the natural wonders of Portugal.

Everything here moves by muscle power. The fleet is made up of single and double kayaks, open canoes, stand-up paddleboards and Hawaiian outrigger canoes, the largest of which carries a group of ten, so the lake is explored without engines, fuel or noise. The Garoupa family, known as pioneers of surfing on São Miguel, counts respect for the surrounding nature among its values.

Visitors choose a craft, receive a life jacket and a short safety briefing, and set off at their own pace; several kayaks and canoes take two adults and a child or two, which suits families. The sheltered water makes it possible to paddle under the bridge from one lake to the other and along the green walls of the crater.

Sete Cidades is about 25 kilometres from Ponta Delgada, roughly half an hour by car, and there is free parking next to the base.