What to do in Furnas

Grená Park is a natural park built in the 1950s by a former English consul who fell in love with the island. Stroll along its many walking trails, filled with unexpected green hideaways, and be amazed by the spectacle nature has to offer.

This ecological park features trails through Laurisilva forest and impressive waterfalls. The well-marked paths lead to breathtaking cascades, especially vibrant after periods of rain, creating a unique subtropical rainforest environment in the Azores.

Panoramic Viewpoints of Furnas:

• Pico do Ferro Viewpoint (570m): One of the most iconic spots to admire the vast beauty of Furnas, offering a panoramic view over the Furnas crater lake and surrounding landscape.

• Salto do Cavalo Viewpoint (760m): Offers a privileged view over the Aldeia Valley and its famous “seven ridges,” revealing the dramatic contours of the volcanic terrain.

The Cozido area of Furnas is a one-of-a-kind culinary laboratory, where the earth’s natural geothermal heat slowly cooks the traditional cozido das Furnas. This ancestral method uses volcanic steam to cook meats, vegetables, and sausages buried in pots for 6 to 7 hours.

Watch local restaurants perform their daily ritual of burying and unearthing their pots in a fascinating routine near Furnas Lake. The result is a dish with an unmatched depth of flavor, where the ingredients absorb the unique minerals of the volcanic soil. Several restaurants in the area serve this specialty

Ribeira Quente Beach offers a truly unique experience in the Azores: natural thermal bathing directly in the Atlantic Ocean. This volcanic beach, with its black basalt sand, is warmed by underground hot springs that emerge from the seabed, creating natural thermal pools with pleasant temperatures along the shoreline.

This rare combination allows visitors to alternate between the warm thermal waters (35–40°C) and the refreshing ocean, providing a revitalising contrast of temperatures.

The beach is equipped with a bathing area that includes hot thermal water showers — perfect for a relaxing rinse after a dip in the sea.

The scenery is marked by dramatic dark volcanic cliffs and lush Azorean subtropical vegetation, creating a wild and almost primordial atmosphere.

The mesmerizingly beautiful Furnas Lagoon occupies a volcanic caldera covering approximately 200 hectares and is part of one of the Azores Natural Parks. It is surrounded by lush vegetation and small fumaroles emerging from its shores.
Formed in an ancient volcanic caldera with an elliptical shape measuring 8 km in maximum diameter, it offers picture-perfect scenery and is home to Furnas’s most famous gastronomic tradition. Visitors can enjoy several hiking trails around the lake, as well as explore several parks, such as the Grená Park and the José do Canto Garden Forest, located next to the iconic Neo-Gothic Chapel of Our Lady of Victories Furnas.

The 3km circular hiking trail allows you to discover different perspectives of this natural treasure of the Azores, including observation of the rich aquatic birdlife, such as the Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea).

Activities available: Hiking, bird watching, kayaking, paddle boarding, Azores Tree Top Park

Poça da Dona Beija offers one of the most authentic and romantic thermal experiences in Furnas. As one of the most visited attractions by tourists, it’s known for its enchanting atmosphere and unique features. Here, you’ll find five pools naturally heated by the Furnas volcano, all maintaining an average temperature of 39°C.

These five cascading thermal pools harness the region’s iron-rich volcanic waters, each with its own distinctive character:

• Meditation Pool: The deepest (130 cm), featuring two thermal waterfalls along its walls.

• Thermal Social Pool: A square, shallow pool (30–60 cm) with submerged benches, perfect for relaxing conversations.

• Mystic Pool: The most iconic, with a long curtain of water creating a natural open-air sauna.

• Ribeira & Serena Pools: Additional pools with varying depths, offering different sensory experiences.

Poça da Dona Beija is one of the few hot springs open at night, where visitors can enjoy a magical atmosphere under the stars. The nighttime experience completely transforms the setting — with soft golden lighting, mystical steam rising from the warm waters, and the soothing sound of flowing water creating an unforgettable ambiance.

Terra Nostra Park is the crown jewel of Furnas and one of the world’s most extraordinary botanical gardens, internationally recognized for its unique biodiversity and iconic thermal pool. This centuries-old thermal paradise in Romantic style, built in the 18th-19th centuries, represents the perfect fusion between landscape artistry and natural volcanic phenomena.

The world-famous thermal pool, with its distinctive iron-rich orange waters naturally maintained at constant temperature by geothermal activity, offers a unique therapeutic relaxation experience. The mineral properties of the volcanic waters provide recognized benefits for skin health and general well-being.

The historic 22-hectare garden showcases over 2000 rare botanical species from five continents, featuring an extraordinary collection of 600 camellia varieties, centenary azaleas, giant tree ferns, and exotic subtropical plants. The serpentine pathways reveal mysterious artificial grottos, romantic bridges over bubbling thermal streams, natural waterfalls, and secret corners ideal for contemplation, creating an unforgettable sensory experience where thermal relaxation meets global biodiversity in perfect harmony.