Ilhéu de Vila Franca do Campo

The volcanic islet with its interior lagoon, off Vila Franca do Campo.

Off Vila Franca do Campo lies the Ilhéu — a small island born of a volcanic crater, with an almost perfect ring of rock around a lagoon of calm green water. Classified as a nature reserve, it is one of the most singular places of São Miguel: a beach and a pool inside a volcano, in the middle of the Atlantic.

The islet

The islet is the remains of an ancient crater, whose sea-facing wall opened to form the channel that lets small boats into the interior lagoon. Around the water, the walls of the crater are covered in green; outside, the rocky coast of the islet drops to the ocean. The reserve protects the birds and the marine life of the place, and the bathing inside the lagoon is one of the classic experiences of the Azores.

O que ver

The interior lagoon, inside the ring of the old crater.
The crossing from Vila Franca do Campo, with its views of the coast.
The birds and marine life of the reserve.
The town of Vila Franca do Campo and its waterfront.

Visiting

The islet is reached only by sea, from the marina of Vila Franca do Campo, with licensed boats and a limited number of visitors each day; the visits run in the bathing season and depend on the sea conditions. As a nature reserve, the islet has rules that visitors must follow, and the crossings and tickets follow the official information of the municipality.