Planning a Two Family Trip to Sao Miguel in March

Much depends on the interests of the kids, especially if they like history and nature. The weather in March might be a bit uncooperative, so have back up indoor options. Choose a hotel in Ponta Delgada with an indoor pool.

I can certainly recommend the underground lava tubes in Ponta Delgada (Gruta do Carvao), the volcano museum in Lagoa (Observatorio Vulcanologico e Geotermico dos Acores), the Pineapple Center in Faja de Baixo, Ponta Delgada (Centro de Interpretacao da Cultura do Ananas), one of the geothermal pools (I think Caldeira Velha in Ribeira Grande is the one they would like), an old blacksmith shop in Lagoa (Tenda do Ferreira Ferrador), the Science Museum in Lagoa (Expolab), the Observatorio Astronomico de Santana in Rabo de Peixe (near Ribeira Grande), one of the two tea plantations (one in Porto Formoso and the other is nearby in Maia)...are some of the many that should be on your list. The Museu Carlos Machado in Ponta Delgada is phenomenal for visitors of all ages. I could go on and on!

Hiking routes vary greatly, so take some time to plan one or maybe two that are easy, and not taking up more than a few hours. Everyone would like to see waterfalls, right? Many include them. The hikes I have taken generally take longer and are more strenuous than what is suggested.

If renting a car, choose one that fits everyone, including luggage. A nine passenger is what I suggest. Pay extra (it probably will be expensive) for a zero deductible insurance policy. This will ensure your peace of mind while exploring and is worth it

I have never used or needed a guide in over 30 years of visiting the Azores. With a rental, you will be fine. If you really want to hire one, search GetYourGuide or TripAdvisor. Some 1/2 day (or less) tours that are popular are ATV rides and horseback rides. Wait until you are there to decide any whale watching trips in Ponta Delgada. The weather can change quickly and the ocean can look placid, but actually will be rough.

At the top of this Portugal Forum is a post written by the webmaster regarding my Azores advice. The first 52 pages of my digital guidebook are free to read. Those pages will have just about all the logistical information you will need, including your car rental, hotel, driving, and hiking. The rest of the sightseeing pages are in the paid content. I offer over 15 days worth of walking and driving tours covering Sao Miguel.

Let me know if you have any more specific questions or ideas you want to run by me.

A few additions to the previous, quite exhaustive list:
1. The two lakes at Sete Cidades have a really distinct color with a sharp separation where they blend, green and blue. You can rent a boat to row from one to the other (easy, shallow water). Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Verde.
2. Depending on the weather, the black beach at Mosteiros can be fun - although too cold for swimming, most likely.
3. The place where the people in Furnas cook stew in the volcanic hot ground and fumaroles can be visited. There are also fumaroles in the town where they sell corn on the cob boiled in the hot volcanic water.
4. Lagoa do fogo is a small lake at surprisingly high elevation. The trip is steep, but only half an hour. Looks like a place dinosaurs would enjoy. So might adults and kids.

March weather will be very unpredictable. You may get lucky, but be mentally prepared that majority of the 6 days could be wet and cold, which would make any kind of hiking or outdoor activities non viable. And some famous hikes, like Sete Cidades, are only great if you can get a good view from the top of the mountain, so on a dry but overcast day, it will be very anti-climatic. You are better off going somewhere else unless you have good visibility that day.

Of all the activities suggested above, you may want to separat them into 2 groups, one for good weather, and one for rainy days. Be ready to pivot depending on the weather that morning. Forecast is not going to be very useful.

I do want to add one more suggestion -- Ponta da ferraria. It's a geothermally heated cove in the ocean. Not far from the city, free parking, free entrance, free bathroom/changing room, and it can be enjoyed even if it's cloudy or rainy. It's a very unique attraction, especially when you go during low tide, with 105 degree heated water seeping through the rocks at the back of the cove while 70 degree cold ocean waves came in from the front of the cove. The water is not too deep, but the waves (and the suction out to the ocean after the wave) can be strong, so do this only if your kids are decent swimmers or are obedient enough to hold on to the ropes at the back of the cove. My family considered it the BEST experience they had from 2 trips to Sao Miguel, and possibly the BEST experience ever from all the trips they have taken in their lifetime anywhere in the world. The only "catch" is that there is no place to keep your clothes, so you either have to leave change clothes in the car (1/2 mile away) or on the rocks near the cove.

A small addendum regarding ponta da ferreira: It is best visited at low tide, when the thermal effect is strongest. We were once at low tide, and once in between tides - it was much colder in the latter case, almost not noticeable. In march, make sure to check for low tides…