Lake Canário lies in a volcanic crater on São Miguel, in the Azores, ringed by woodland. It is a quiet, lightly visited spot rather than a headline sight: a trail runs from the car park across the road down to the water, and that car park also serves as a trailhead for the Serra Devassa walking route. Most people call in on the way to the Vista do Rei viewpoint and Boca do Inferno. There are free toilets nearby and no bus service.
Lake Canário
Local name: Lagoa do Canário
Almost everyone who stops here is on the way to Boca do Inferno — the lake is the appetiser before the main course.
- Parking
- Two free car parks, the nearer about 120 m from the lake; compacted gravel surface. Fills up — more spaces further along the road.
- Difficulty
- Easy: a trail runs from the car park to the shore. Longer walking starts here too — the PRC05SMI Serra Devassa route.
- Transport
- No stop at the lake; the nearest bus stops are about 3.6 km away.
What makes it special
A volcanic crater holds the water, and woodland runs right down to the edge, so the lake shows up in pieces through the trees before you see the whole of it. Next to the Sete Cidades lakes it is small, and it draws fewer people. Quiet is what it offers: still water, trees, and the light coming off the surface.
The car park across the road is also a trailhead. The Serra Devassa route (PRC05SMI) starts beside it, and the main path carries on past the lake towards the Vista do Rei viewpoint (Miradouro da Vista do Rei). One visitor came away thinking there was nothing particularly interesting here, and that is fair warning: this is a stop on the way to somewhere else, not a destination in itself.
Good to know
- The car park fills. It doubles as a trailhead for walkers, and when it is full the next spaces are further along the road.
- Toilets: free, about 275 m from the lake, by the car park.
- No drinking water at the lake or anywhere near it — fill your bottles before you drive up.
- Walking on: the Serra Devassa trail (PRC05SMI) starts by the car park, and the Muro das Nove Janelas stands about 700 m away.
Getting there
No bus comes to the lake — the nearest stops are kilometres off — so everyone arrives by car. The car park sits across the road from the water, on compacted gravel, and a trail leads from it down to the shore. That same path carries on beyond the lake towards the Vista do Rei viewpoint and Boca do Inferno, which is how most people meet the lake in the first place: as the stop before the big one.
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Frequently asked questions
Can you reach Lake Canário by public transport?
No. The nearest bus stops are about 3.6 km away, with nothing at the lake itself. Visitors drive.Is there parking, and does it cost anything?
Two free car parks on compacted gravel, the nearer one about 120 m from the water. It fills up, because walkers start their routes from it; when it does, there are more spaces down the road.Are there toilets?
Yes, free toilets about 275 m from the lake. There is no drinking water, so bring your own.Can you walk further from the lake?
Yes. The Serra Devassa route (PRC05SMI) begins beside the car park, and the main path continues past the lake to the Vista do Rei viewpoint and on towards Boca do Inferno.Is it worth the stop?
If you are already passing, yes — it is quiet, easy to reach and the views are pleasant. It is less visited than the island's better-known lakes, and one visitor found nothing here to hold their attention.