Incredible Natural Hot Springs of São Miguel, Azores

I don’t care how many hot springs you may have visited, whether they are in a remote wilderness, or in a fancy hotel, the hot springs in the Azores should be on everyone’s travel list. In just the week we visited São Miguel, the largest island in the Azores, we soaked in 3 very different hot springs. There was the traditional large pool and small soaking tubs of Parque Terra Nostra in the valley of Furnas. Then there were the small pools of Caldeira Velha Hot Springs up in the jungle on the volcanic slope of Volcano Água de Pau. And lastly, my favorite, the Ponta da Ferraria Hot Springs, where a thermal vent flows directly into the Atlantic ocean. 

The first hot springs we visited were the Caldeira Velha Hot Springs (Link to Map). A short drive up the mountain slope from our stay in Riberia Grande, which unintentionally had us on the dirt covered backroads to get out of town. Once in the parking lot, it was a quick walk up the long set of stairs, through the gates, up the cinder gravel path, and to the hot spring pools! Like all good tourists, we brought too much stuff and needed a locker to put our extra clothes and bags in before hopping into the pools. But once squared away, we were some of the first in the park and thus, the empty hot springs. 

Uphill, a large thermal vent that is way too hot to swim in, flows downhill to the three smaller pools that we could hang out in. Depending on how close you were to the in-flow, the temps ranged from 105F down to 90F. All the pool water has a natural brown tint to it, so don’t expect to see Caribbean blue waters up here. The different pools were so relaxing to just hang out in, below the jungle canopy that covered the sky above us. Eventually, as the morning got on, the pools began to crowd up, so definitely recommend going earlier to get a better experience. And once we were done soaking, we headed up to the top of the park where we found a waterfall dropping into a clear, blue pool below. Sadly, this water was not a hotspring, just one of the many rivers on the island. 

Next hot spring we got to enjoy was in the town of Furnas, called Parque Terra Nostra (Link to Map). After walking through town, you enter through the gates of a magnificent botanical garden that leads you to the most unappealing, massive pool in the center of the park. This pool, fed by a volcanic spring at 108F, is rich with iron minerals giving it the unappealing brown coloring. But after stepping down into the warm water and swimming around, it becomes shockingly relaxing. The depth is only about 4ft or so, making it comfortable for any visitor. Surrounded by pine trees, ferns, and beautiful historic buildings and their trademark red terracotta roofs. Better still, were the smaller, more private pools tucked away within the garden. These pools were almost too hot to hang out in, and the four of us quickly had to get out, having been soaking for over an hour between all the incredible pools.

Saving the best for last, though it’s completely different than the normal soaking hot spring tub, are the Piscina Natural da Ponta da Ferraria Hot Springs (Link to Map). A surreal hot spring that vents into a volcanic rock cove in the ocean. Like every ocean access on the Azores are far below the cliff, so we planned to drive down to the hot spring but a landslide crossed the road and all of us had to walk the half mile down a few hundred vertical feet to the ocean. At the bottom, we saw they had a ocean water public swimming pool,  a cafe, and a volcanic coastline shaped like a reef stretching out into the ocean. Dozens of locals and tourists alike packed their dry clothes along the rocks and climbed the ladder into the swimming area for a less-than-relaxing time in some warm water!

Unlike all of the other hot springs which are calm, peaceful, and relaxing, this was a bit different. The natural swimming area, which was about the size of a tennis course and even had a lifeguard, had waves from the ocean roll into the cove and tossed everyone around left and right. From what we learned, on a normal day when a hurricane didn’t just pass through the island, the ocean is significantly more calm. Admittedly, the entry via the ladder wasn’t easiest of access points, and once in the water, you had to hold on to ropes in order to prevent yourself from being tossed up against the rocks. The only up-side to getting carried further into the cove by the waves, is that the back of the cove is where the thermal vent is located. With every crashing wave, brought in fresh cold water, that was quickly heated by the hots pring. It felt like a repeatedly jumping into a cold plunge followed by a hot tub at 100F. After a long time struggling in the current, holding onto the ropes trying to avoid the boulders under the water and not slamming into the rocks that line the pool, we eventually found a spot that was manageable and even fun. With its beautiful juxtaposition of the natural hot spring in the cold ocean around us below a massive cliffside, I’ll never forget. 

Of course, these three are only a few of the natural hot springs on the island of São Miguel, and I’m sure there are tons more that aren’t publicized to tourists. But with that being said, it was great to see that tons of locals visited these hot springs during the week, and they weren’t just overpriced tourist traps like we have here in the states. The setting of all of these hot springs were incredible, whether it was in the jungle, the center of a town, or out in the ocean, each were uniquely relaxing. I cannot recommend checking these out on your visit to the Azores, and in general, never pass up an opportunity to soak in a hot spring!