Sete Cidades is a Portuguese parish in the municipality of Ponta Delgada, Autonomous Region of the Azores, with an area of ​​19.22 km², which has a population of around 800 inhabitants (2011 census), known for their hospitality that attracts a lot of visitors.

It is located at latitude 37.87 north and longitude 25.78 west, at an altitude of around 260 meters inside the caldera of the Sete Cidades volcano, on the eastern shore of the lake of the same name.

The name of the parish has roots in the legendary Sete Cidades do Atlântico. Despite the lack of proven contacts with the so-called “island of the Seven Cities”, the belief in its existence gave rise to one of the most widespread legends of the European Middle Ages, with multiple reports of fortuitous visual records and expeditions organized to find it.

Located on the flat part of the shore of Lagoa Azul, the parish preserves traditional houses, some still with tall grain.

In architectural terms, the Church of São Nicolau, in neo-Gothic style, inaugurated in 1852, the house of the heirs of Caetano de Andrade, and the discharge tunnel of the lagoon, inaugurated in 1937, stand out.

Lagoa das Sete Cidades is located at the top of the Sete Cidades caldeira, formed by successive collapses of stones and boulders, with an area of ​​approximately 4.3 km, maximum depth of 29 meters. It constitutes one of the largest abatement boilers in the world. It is part of a mountainous area of ​​very sharp relief, with interior cliffs, deep ravines and gullies, and furrows in which water flows. The zone includes an urban area, agricultural land and massive forests producing cryptomeria.

The new Sete Cidades Lake Cabin, inaugurated on August 15, 2022, arose from our will, João (41 years old) and Maria João (39) to be in constant travel experience. As a couple we have already traveled to many destinations that have marked us: France, Italy, Mozambique, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, China and Japan are just some of them.

In fact, our journey begins in the year 2000, when we met, born on the island of São Miguel, in the Azores, we lived part of our history in the city of Lisbon, where we stayed until we finished the law course, having then returned to the island to practicing law and finally getting married was the year 2015.

The idea for this project came about in 2017, and it took about five years to complete, as we invested a lot of our time in the design phase of the project, in the execution phase of the work and also in the final phase of finishing and decoration, so the first guests arrived on August 15, 2022.

During its creation, we brought many of the things we learned on our travels, because travel is a small addiction, and when we can’t do it, we try to be close to that reality.

Sete Cidades Lake Cabin is set against the backdrop of the stunning Sete Cidades lagoon, one of the seven natural wonders of Portugal. Sete Cidades Lake Cabin has an architecture of its own. We combined it with modernity. It is a fully equipped house, with two bedrooms, direct and stunning views of the lagoon, kitchen in an open space to the dining and living room, equipped with an air conditioning system and stove, panoramic windows to the garden and surrounding nature, allowing the I enjoy the 4 seasons of the year.

Sete Cidade Lake Cabin is our project and that of Sete Cidades that we want to present to the world so that everyone can come and enjoy a unique space of natural beauty and well-being.

The development was conceived to change the structure of the land as little as possible, so that the integration and harmonious was the best possible.

In the development’s design, local materials were used, namely stone and cryptomeria wood, in the interiors and exteriors (for example, on the exterior deck).

Materials were used that allow for thermal and acoustic insulation and all windows and glass doors in the development are double-paned.

In the garden, we introduced local plants, and preserved the species that initially existed.

We separate the garbage for recycling.

The water is heated using energy efficient heat pumps and the houses are heated using a salamander. LED lamps were used for lighting and some have motion sensors (for example, at the entrance to the house).