Some hikes take you past waterfalls. This one takes you between them. The Moinho do Félix – Cascadas trail, in the northeast of São Miguel, is a stunningly lush route that splits into multiple branches, each one leading to a different waterfall tucked inside the deep green folds of the island.
We did this hike with Atlantimagia, a tour company run by a Canadian couple who fell in love with São Miguel and now run nature-based adventures—and a dog rescue—from their new island home. Having done several of their tours before, we loved the pace, rhythm, and knowledge they bring. So we knew were in for something special.
A network of waterfall trails
The Moinho do Félix – Cascadas hike is actually a system of trails rather than one linear route. You begin near Lomba de São Pedro and follow signs toward several cascadas—each trail looping you down toward a different fall and then back up into the canopy again.
Ginger lilies growing in dense clusters beneath the cryptomeria canopy
The elevation changes are real: expect lots of stairs, inclines, and rooted descents. But also expect wildflowers, cliffs, and forest pools that feel entirely out of time.
Hiking with Atlantimagia
This tour was led by Chris, one half of the Atlantimagia team. He's a deeply generous guide, with an encyclopedic knowledge of São Miguel’s flora and a clear love for its landscapes. Our group moved at an easy pace, stopping often for explanations, water breaks, or to simply chat. One of the things I love about Atlantimagia is that they adapt each tour to the group’s energy level—this is not a sprint, it’s a sensorial, story-rich wander.
And you do want to take your time. This hike isn’t about speed—it’s about immersion. In the rustle of bamboo. In the red bark of cryptomeria trees. In the climb and fall of water over rock.
Flora highlights: deep woods and climbing vines
The vegetation on this hike is wildly rich. You’ll pass through tunnels of nasturtiums, morning glories, and other flowering vines that cling to tree trunks and dangle down into the trail. The tree trunks themselves are a wonder: deep red and vertical, with peeling bark and dappled light filtering through high canopies.
In the lower elevations, the moisture brings out more delicate layers of plant life—ferns, mosses, and enormous clusters of ginger lilies.
Ginger leaves and ferns fill the understory while the shaded trail climbs steadily through a tunnel of red-barked trees
The trail moves through shifting ecological zones, with each bend revealing a new botanical layer: towering grasses brushing your arms, delicate wildflowers underfoot, reed beds whispering in the breeze.
Two signatures of the trail: bright orange crocosmia blooms and spiky green seedpods of wild canna
At one point, we passed under a stretch of twisted vine-laced canopy that felt like an arboreal tunnel, alive with filtered light.
Towering trees wrapped in wild morning glory vines, their purple blooms cascading like soft vertical rivers
Every few minutes, the color palette changes. Bright lime greens give way to deep emeralds and rusted reds. A carpet of soft leaves here, a tangle of climbing ivy there. The diversity isn’t just visual—it’s atmospheric.
Some of these plants are invasive, others are native or endemic—but together they create a visual rhythm that’s unmistakably Azorean.
Stone mill remnants and wall flora along the trail
You'll find remnants of old water mills as you move through the paths.
The cascadas themselves
Each waterfall has its own mood. Some cascade narrowly over black volcanic rock, like veins of silver. Others plunge in wide white fans into shaded pools. At many of them, you’ll find wooden bridges, benches, or mossy stone ruins to rest beside. One is framed by dense fern walls; another falls just beyond a narrow tree tunnel.
Two of the cascadas along the trail—one wide and low, one narrow and sheer
The tour doesn’t rush you through them. You’re encouraged to sit, feel the temperature shift, listen to the water.
Photographers will love this section, but so will anyone with a desire to feel temporarily small. These aren’t loud, aggressive waterfalls. They’re contemplative. Intimate.
Two views of the same waterfall, framed by forest and basalt and approached from different sides of the trail
In one spot, a fall tumbles in split streams down a sharp drop, bouncing over mossy rocks into a black pool.
Another cascada appears almost suddenly, hidden until you round a bend—its presence made known first by sound, then by mist. Some falls are surrounded by forest so dense it feels like a chamber. Others feel expansive, overlooking distant trees.
You might spot small birds darting across the spray, or tiny frogs sunning themselves on wet stone.
Terrain and accessibility
The trail includes several sets of stairs—wooden, stone, and earthen—as well as some steeper switchbacks and slick areas near water. Good hiking shoes are essential. Trekking poles aren’t strictly necessary, but can be helpful.
This hike isn’t technical, but it does require moderate fitness. The elevation change is enough to make your legs remember it the next day.
Dappled light guides you through immersive sections of the trail
The pace matters. With Atlantimagia, we moved attentively, with time to breathe between ascents.
A morning hike in good company
We did this as the first hike of a full-day tour with Atlantimagia, followed by the Moinhos da Ribeira Funda hike in the afternoon. Doing both was energizing, not exhausting. They paired beautifully—Moinho do Félix offering the vertical, verdant drama; Moinhos da Ribeira Funda bringing ocean views and more open space.
This full-day rhythm is something I’d strongly recommend if you want a deep dive into the northeast’s natural wonders without having to coordinate transport or trail logistics yourself. Our guide Chris brought beverages and infinite knowledge, and made the entire day feel expansive.
Why this hike lingers
There are bigger waterfalls on the island. There are longer hikes. But this one has a strange intimacy that’s hard to explain. Maybe it’s the soft light. The density of vegetation. The way the forest seems to fold in around you, even as it opens to sky.
It’s a place that feels like it’s still becoming—still changing with the weather, the season, the passage of time. And thanks to Atlantimagia, it’s a place you can encounter slowly, with presence and care.
If you’re in the northeast of São Miguel and want to meet the island through its water and woods, this is the trail.
Book the hike
If you're considering hiking Moinho do Félix – Cascadas (and maybe pairing it with a second trail), I highly recommend doing it with Atlantimagia. They'll also pick you up, so no need to worry about getting anywhere on your own.
Book their full-day northeast waterfalls hike here.
