Furnas on São Miguel: hot springs, cozido and how to plan the day

Furnas can fill one day or three, and the plan depends on opening times more than distance. The two hot-spring pools in the village close at very different hours, the local stew is lifted out of the ground once a day, and the third famous pool, Caldeira Velha, is not in Furnas at all. Sorting those three things out is most of the planning.

• Parque Terra Nostra: a botanical garden in the middle of Furnas with a large iron-rich thermal pool and jacuzzis. Daytime only.
• Poça da Dona Beija: smaller pools along a stream on the edge of the village. Open until late evening.
• Caldeira Velha: pools in the woods on the north side of the island, about 7 km above Ribeira Grande and roughly 30 km by road from Furnas. It fits better with a Lagoa do Fogo day than with a Furnas one.

Furnas itself sits in a volcanic valley at 207 m, with some thirty springs of different temperatures and chemistry. The volcano last erupted in 1630, an eruption that killed about 200 people. The village is about 43 km from Ponta Delgada by road.

The garden goes back to 1782, when the Boston merchant Thomas Hickling bought the land. Admission covers the garden, its collections and the thermal pool and jacuzzis. In 2026 the general adult ticket is €17 and children and seniors pay €14.50; residents of the Azores get a discount only at the ticket office on site. Prices change, so check before you go.

• Open daily from 10:30 to 16:30, closed on 25 December. You can start your visit up to 30 minutes before closing.
• The pool water runs between 38 and 42°C. The garden recommends staying in no longer than 30 minutes at a time.
• The pool holds up to 100 people and each jacuzzi ten.
• The water is rich in iron and stains light swimwear. Wear a dark costume and rinse it before it dries. The garden also warns that hair, nails and nail polish can change colour.
• Guests of the hotel inside the garden have access at any hour.

The pool is the reason most people come, but the garden's own suggested walking route is 3 km and an hour and a half, so do not treat it as a quick dip.

Four pools at around 39°C beside a stream, with changing rooms and cold showers. The ticket gives you a maximum of 1 hour 30 minutes inside.

• In 2026, adults pay €12 until 17:30 and €16 from 18:00. Children aged 2 to 6 pay €10 and €14, under-2s go free.
• Open every day from 8:30 to 23:00. Last entry is at 21:30 and everyone is out of the water by 22:30.
• Tickets are sold online only, through the pools' own website.
• Towels cost €4 plus a €20 deposit, lockers €2 plus a €20 deposit, and hot showers are coin-operated.
• It stays open in the rain.

The same warnings apply as at Terra Nostra: the water can permanently change hair colour and tarnish jewellery, and the operator advises pregnant visitors and people with health conditions to check with a doctor first.

Caldeira Velha is a Natural Monument run by the regional nature park, with an interpretation centre and four thermal pools. You book a fixed 90-minute slot on the Azores Natural Parks ticket site, choosing between a full ticket with bathing and a cheaper visit-only ticket. The booking page does not print its prices up front; guides updated in 2026 quote €10 for the full ticket and €3 for the visit ticket. Check the price on the booking page before you rely on it. Residents of the Azores do not pay.

Because the Caldeira Velha car park is also where the summer shuttle to Lagoa do Fogo starts, the two make a natural half day. Doing Caldeira Velha on the same day as Furnas means an extra 30 km or so each way.

Cozido das Furnas is a meat and vegetable stew cooked by the heat of the ground. Restaurant pots are sealed and lowered into holes at the caldeiras on the shore of Lagoa das Furnas, left there for around six hours, and lifted out in the late morning to be driven to the restaurants in the village.

• To watch the pots come out, be at the lakeside caldeiras before noon. Guides give times between about 10:30 and 12:00, so arrive early rather than late.
• Entry to the lakeside area costs a few euros per person; one local guide gives €3 in 2026. Check at the gate.
• Book your cozido lunch at least a day ahead. Kitchens cook a fixed number of portions each morning, so walk-ins in summer can miss out.
• Aim to eat at around 12:30 or 13:00, when the pots have just arrived.

The lake is also on the valley's easy long walk: the PRC06SMI circuit, 9.4 km and about three hours, passes Poça da Dona Beija, climbs Pico do Milho for the view and rings the lake past the fumaroles.

• Morning: walk part of the lake circuit or drive to the lakeside caldeiras, and stay for the pots.
• 12:30 or 13:00: cozido lunch in the village, booked the day before.
• Early afternoon: Terra Nostra. Arrive by 14:00 to have time for both the garden and the pool before the 16:30 close.
• Evening: Poça da Dona Beija. Before 17:30 it costs €12, after 18:00 €16, and after dark it is the only one of the two still open to day visitors.

If you are staying in Furnas, reverse it: Dona Beija in the evening on arrival, the lake walk the next morning before Terra Nostra opens at 10:30, and the garden in the afternoon.

• A dark swimsuit you do not mind ruining. The iron in the water marks pale fabric.
• A towel, unless you want to rent one at Dona Beija.
• Flip-flops and a plastic bag for the wet costume.
• A layer for the evening. Furnas gets roughly twice the rain of Ponta Delgada, and average humidity at the village weather station is around 87%.

Is Terra Nostra or Poça da Dona Beija better?

Terra Nostra if you want the garden as well as a swim; it is one big pool and a few jacuzzis in grounds with a 3 km walking route. Dona Beija if you want the water after dark or on a short visit: smaller pools, a 90-minute limit and opening until 23:00.

Is Caldeira Velha in Furnas?

No. It is on the north side of the island, about 7 km above Ribeira Grande and roughly 30 km from Furnas by road. It pairs better with Lagoa do Fogo, whose summer shuttle starts from the Caldeira Velha car park.

What time do they take the cozido out of the ground?

In the late morning, before noon, at the caldeiras on the shore of Lagoa das Furnas. The stew has been cooking for about six hours by then. Arrive by around 10:30 if you want to see it.

Can I visit two hot springs in one day?

Yes. Terra Nostra closes at 16:30 and Dona Beija stays open until 23:00, so the garden in the afternoon and Dona Beija in the evening is the obvious combination.