GEOGRAPHY

The volcanic island, subject to seismic activity, presents mountainous relief, mainly in its interior, dominated by the peak of the Vara, being cut by valleys, grotes and streams - only water courses. The volcanic origin is present in the typology of "biscuit" rocks and lands (produced by undulating layers of lava) and "mysteries" (by spongy lavas where mosses and herbs proliferate) - typical in the archipelago - and fumaroles-sulfataras [13] such as those of Furnas Valley and Ribeira Grande. The crater floor of ancient extinct volcanoes serves as a bed for beautiful lagoons such as the Lagoa das Sete Cidades, Lagoa do Fogo, and Lagoa das Furnas. This combination of factors allows the Furnas Valley to be considered its mineral-medicinal waters.

The relief formations on the island are further complemented by the presence of the so-called "lombas" - slightly flattened relief shapes - and of peaks - relatively sharp relief forms.

CLIMATE

Like the other islands of the archipelago, the climate of São Miguel is temperate oceanic. The Atlantic and the Gulf Stream function as temperature moderators - maritime - giving the island and the archipelago in general a small thermal amplitude. Rainfall is distributed regularly throughout the year, although it is more abundant in the cool season.

In winter, as well as the other islands of the archipelago, it is ravaged by strong winds that blow predominantly from the southwest, while in the summer they move to the North quadrant. The sky is generally cloudy, which causes variable sunshine.

PLACES TO VISIT AND FESTIVITIES

The Lagoa das Sete Cidades, with its two lagoons - blue and green - bordered by a caldera, the islet of Vila Franca, a natural reserve, as well as the Furnas valley, with its fumaroles, hot and medicinal water and mud, are just a few examples of the many attractive points that St. Michael presents.

Another of the points of interest of the island is the Fogo Lagoon, which is located in the Serra de Agua de Pau, as well as the Congro Lagoon, located a few kilometers from Vila Franca do Campo.

In the eastern part of the island, is the Pico da Vara - the highest elevation of the island - with 1103 meters of altitude. In the central zone, the mountain range of Water of Pau with 940 meters of height and in the West zone is the Caldeira of the Seven Cities with 850 meters of altitude.

The feasts of the Lord Santo Cristo dos Milagres attract thousands of visitors annually to the island in religious tourism.

The city of Ponta Delgada still maintains its churches and palaces from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Here is the largest religious festival of the archipelago, where thousands of people gather annually: the feasts of the Lord Santo Cristo dos Milagres, on the fifth Sunday after Easter, in the sanctuary located inside the Convent of Our Lady of Hope.

There is also an annual pilgrimage to the Hermitage of Our Lady of Monte Santo, located in Água de Pau, which marks the exact location where some apparitions of Our Lady took place to the girl Maria Joana Tavares do Canto.

Another religious manifestation of this island is the Romeiros. By the time of Holy Week, groups of a few dozen men travel the island on foot for eight days, praying and singing in all the Churches and Hermitages that are on the way.

The Furnas Monitoring and Research Center (CMIF) was inaugurated on the southern shore of the Furnas Lagoon, which aims to implement and disseminate the actions of ecological restoration of water quality and lagoon ecosystem, within the scope of the programs and actions of the Plan of the Lagoa das Furnas Hydrographic Basin (POBHLF).