12 Azores Hot Springs and Spas For Your Next Visit
The Azores’ hot springs are a major draw, for locals and tourists alike on São Miguel Island.
The island chain in the Atlantic sits on a tectonic plate boundary where the Eurasian and North American plates meet.
Summer is the most popular time of year for visitors, but the great thing about the Azores is that due to its moderate climate featuring mild temperatures year-round, there’s no such thing as an “off-season” here.
For the ultimate thermal water experience, consider visiting Terra Nostra Park in the morning (as it closes in the afternoon) and then head to Poça da Beija at night, as it remains open until 10 pm.
Not many of these springs are rich in iron and are a muddy color unlike many other natural springs. No worries, you will get to experience the benefits of iron. just take these precautions:
Bring old, dark-colored bath clothes, which you should wash with cold water immediately after bathing;
Don’t wear jewelry while bathing, including silver and gold;
If you have recently dyed your hair, tie it up and keep it out of the water, as the iron in the water can affect the hair color.
Agua Quente
This hot spring is a bit of a strange one, located on Flores island and marked by a curiously large tourist sign pointing straight down a steep cliff. The hike is not for the faint of heart, with vertigo-inducing heights, crumbling paths and even a few ladders to climb, only to lead expectant hikers to a series of small trickles emerging from the cliffs and dropping into the sea. These are indeed hot, but not big enough to bathe in– unless you’re a crab.
Caldeira Velha Hot Springs & Natural Monument
The Caldeira Velha hot springs are an interesting experience, up in the mountains closer to Ponta Delgada. It’s about a 30-minute drive from the city.
There are three pools and a waterfall, which are part of this Azores hot springs experience.
Each person gets 90 minutes in the Caldeira Velha hot springs. You’ll see people of all ages, including babies in the thermal pools.
On the far end of the trail, you’ll find the prettiest spot: a big waterfall and swimming pool at its base. The water here is *not* warm.
Furna do Enxofre
One of the most intriguing sights on Terceira island, the Furnas do Enxofre caves are accessed by no less than 200 steps leading underground to large cave rich with the smell of sulphur. Here you’ll find mud volcanoes glooping and bubbling away at 82ºC, although bathing is most certainly not possible here. Happily you’re only a short drive away from the Carapacho hot springs if you do fancy a bathe.
Furnas Village
As the locals like to say, you can experience all four seasons in one day here. But the great news is that no matter the forecast, visitors and locals alike can enjoy the thermal pools of the Azores any time of year, especially in Furnas! Nestled deep in a verdant valley, Furnas village is a thermal water paradise that wows visitors with its jaw-droppingly beautiful aesthetic.
Due to the high iron content in Furnas’ thermal waters, you can find the equivalent of a natural clay mask within the pool walls that will rejuvenate your skin and make it shine. At the same time, you can get a fantastic massage thanks to the various pools’ little cascading waterfalls that slide down your back and shoulders, relaxing and refreshing you as you are serenaded by nearby birdsong from the Terra Nostra garden.
One mesmerizing tradition the people of the Furnas Lake region cherish and still upholds is using the volcano’s heat to cook a delicious stew known as "Cozido das Furnas". Big pots, piled high with layers of meat, vegetables, and whatever other ingredients you like, are placed into deep underground holes, and about 5 hours later, these pots are pulled back up.
Stay nearby at Furnas Lake Forest Living with a forest view and decor and an outdoor pool.
Graciosa Island
Graciosa Island is home to a small therapeutic thermal spa known as the Termas do Carapacho, located in the tiny village of Luz. The inviting thermal waters of Carapacho are packed with beneficial mineral properties and reach a temperature of around 40°C (104°F), perfect for a relaxing and therapeutic bath.
Visitors to Carapacho can also enjoy a swim in the nearby ocean pool with heated thermal water. The thermal waters of Carapacho are mineral-rich and high in magnesium, chloride, and sodium.
There are many apartments to stay at, but we like the Apartamento Callao in Caleta de Sebo for the beach view and access to a refrigerator, microwave, free toiletries, and a washing machine.
Octant · Furnas
One of the more premium hot springs on this list, Octant · Furnas is the place to be on the Azores if you enjoy boutique hotels, fine dining, thermal waters and a splash of luxury and indulgence.
The hotel’s spa is fed by the iron-rich Quente das Quenturas spring (meaning ‘hottest of the hot’) which flows at 59ºC and is cooled to a more suitable bathing temperature of between 30ºC and 40ºC. The hotel boasts indoor and outdoor thermal pools, a thermal circuit and a traditional spa where you can enjoy massages, scrubs and treatments. Unlike the pools, which are only available to hotel guests, the thermal circuit can be booked by non-guests at €40 per 2h30 min session, and harnesses the power of hydrotherapy through the use of pools, saunas and baths.
Poca da Dona Beija Hot Springs
Poca da Dona Beija hot springs is the most touristy of the Azores hot springs on São Miguel Island. Expect a crowd!
Still, people seem to love this series of five hot spring pools. You’ll find them in the bustling little town of Furnas, which is famous for its hot springs and other thermal and volcanic features.
You’ll notice the orange sulfur collecting on the hot springs’ edges. People will slather that on their skin for purification.
While visiting Dona Beija, don’t forget to look in the pool walls for the natural iron clay and use it as a facial mud mask. In just a few minutes, your skin will feel more supple, soft, and beautiful, guaranteed. And the best part is that you won’t pay a cent for this 100% natural Azorean beauty treatment!
Meditacao: 4.3 feet deep & 39 degrees Celcius (102F)
Convivio Termai: 1-2 feet deep & 39 degrees Celcius (102F)
Mistica: 3 feet deep & 39 degrees Celcius (102F)
Serena: 2.6 feet deep & 39 degrees Celcius (102F)
Riberia: 3.1 feet deep & 28 degrees Celcius (83F)
Get cleaned up and stay nearby at Casa nas Caldeiras with a hot tub, outdoor seating area, and picnic spot. The modern design comes with its own hot tub so you can keep the relaxation going.
Ponta da Ferraria Hot Springs
Ponta da Ferraria is one of the major natural attractions on the western coast of São Miguel Island. You’ll find it near the small old fishing village of Ginetes, approximately 20 kilometers west of Ponta Delgada.
This is the biggest, best, truly *natural* Azores hot spring, made entirely of a volcanic rock pool adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean.
The hot water from the springs mixes with the colder seawater, providing visitors with various temperature options. If you time it right, you can enjoy a warm soak while feeling the refreshing ocean waves crashing nearby.
The Azoreans can proudly say they’re owners of the world's only natural thermal pools. Ponta da Ferraria, found in the southwest of São Miguel Island, is the only known place on Earth where there’s a volcano underneath that heats a piece of the sea. If you follow our other posts, you will know this is not true, but who cares, you are here to relax!
Temperatures range from around 35 to 40 degrees Celcius (95 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit). During low tide, when there is less cold seawater mixing in, the pool is much hotter.
Also found on site is the Termas da Ferraria building, where visitors can enjoy a restaurant, a spa, and a paid-entry, outdoor hot water pool. Note that Ferraria’s natural thermal pool is free and has no set restrictions on visiting times.
At the top of the cliff, closer to the parking area, visitors will find dressing rooms, toilets and showers. These facilities are a great convenience, allowing visitors to change before and after their swim.
Ponta da Ferraria gets crowded in the summer, and a lifeguard is often on duty during peak season. To ensure safety, there are ropes installed in the water that bathers can hold onto while enjoying the thermal pool.
There are plenty of places to stay. I like the modern feel of Mosteiros Place with its pool and garden overlooking the ocean.
Poça da Tia Silvina
The only free hot spring on São Miguel other than Ponta da Ferraria is the Poça da Tia Silvina, also known as the Furnas Footwash. Be warned though; this is not a bathing pool.
The 47ºC temperature in this pool is almost too hot to withstand, and although you could probably sit in it you might be liable to get hyperthermia very quickly. Instead people tend to use this pool for soaking their feet, which has a surprisingly relaxing effect– if you can tolerate the scalding waters.
Some people also bathe in the river next to the spring, where the hot and cold waters mix and provide a more suitable temperature of 38ºC, although it’s not an overly popular spot when there’s so many beautiful spas to enjoy in town.
Praia do Fogo
A uniquely interesting place just a short drive from the bustle of Furnas is the Praia do Fogo in Ribeira Quente, a black sand beach that is heated geothermally underfoot to create a particularly delightful sunbathing spot. You may have to dig down into the sand to feel the heat, but the sea water is always a few degrees warmer here thanks to the hydrothermal vents on the sea bed. It’s also delightfully uncrowded compared to many of the other beaches on the island.
Termas da Ferraria Spa
Termas, which translates to “thermal baths” in Portuguese, refers to the geothermal hot springs found in this area. The Termas da Ferraria Spa is a commercialized, man-made version of the natural hot springs pool down the beach.
A large manmade pool is filled with the geothermal waters from the nearby hot springs.
The Termas da Ferraria Spa may provide other amenities such as changing rooms, showers, relaxation areas, and a restaurant.
Terra Nostra Hot Springs
Terra Nostra is a renowned botanical garden and thermal resort located in Furnas, on São Miguel Island. It’s one of the most famous Azores hot springs.
The famous thermal bath at Terra Nostra is the big draw. The huge, orange thermal pool measures 35 meters (115 feet) across. The water in the pool is a distinctive reddish-brown-orange, due to the iron-rich minerals in the hot springs.
The thermal waters at Terra Nostra are mineral-rich, containing elements such as iron, sulfur, calcium, and magnesium.
Terra Nostra’s main pool is the biggest thermal pool in the Azores, and was once known as ‘’the tank’’. It has been around since 1770, and its water temperature reaches highs standardly between 35ºC and 40ºC. You can swim in this largest earth-toned, iron-water pool, then when you’re ready to try something new, simply move on to one of the other two newer-built pools that function like natural jacuzzis.
The guests of Terra Nostra Hotel, which is located on the grounds of Terra Nostra Gardens, have free access to the pools and gardens 24/7.
The official area boasts 12.5 hectares of impeccably maintained naturescapes and is filled with exotic vegetation. No matter what season of the year you visit, there are always some type of flowers blooming in Terra Nostra Park.
Are you traveling in other parts of Europe? Take a look at more hot springs in the United Kingdom, Poland, Albania, Serbia, Romania, Austria, Greece, Italy, and Spain.
