Azores Hot Springs: The ULTIMATE Thermal Guide
Welcome to our blog, where you’ll find the internet’s top guide to free, natural hot springs in Europe.
This guide features not just the best but all of the Azores’ hot springs and thermal hot spots across the islands.
In this guide we’ll be giving you a rundown of the 8 hot springs on São Miguel island, the thermal sights of Furnas and across Graciosa and Flores islands, and even a couple of bonus hot springs thrown in too to help you plan your ultimate Azores adventure. Let’s go!
Visiting the springs
There are a few things you should know about the hot springs on the Azores before we begin.
All of the main bathing hot springs you’ve likely seen online are located on São Miguel island. It’s the hotspot of the archipelago and the main thermal tourism centre of the Azores.
All of the hot spring spas require an entrance fee except for one. There are three natural pools that are free to use.
You should wear dark or old swimwear when bathing in the springs, as the high iron content will stain fabrics (and skin!) orange (bonus tip: wash used swimwear separately if you don’t want all of your clothes to smell like sulphur forever)
The quietest time to visit the springs is usually early in the morning or late at night. Tickets can sell out so make sure to buy them in advance to avoid disappointment!
The Azores have a mild climate and are enjoyable year-round, but the months of July - August are the busiest and you may find the hot springs crowded at this time of year. The hot springs are at their most atmospheric in the winter on a cool, rainy day, so there is no bad time of year to visit the Azores.
Hot springs
Caldeira Velha
📍Ribeira Grande (São Miguel)
🕚 9am - 5pm daily
🎟 €10 [adult] €5 [concession]
🌡 24ºC – 38ºC
We’re beginning this list with the most popular and instantly recognisable hot spring on the Azores islands: Caldera Velha. This place really feels like bathing in a tropical jungle paradise, surrounded by tall tree ferns, steaming fumaroles and a cascading waterfall.
There are 4 hot pools at 38ºC, but undeniably the most beautiful pool has to be the waterfall which is thermal, although unfortunately a little cold at 24ºC.
Bookings should be made up to 1 day before visiting online, or tickets can be purchased at the gate- if they’re still available. The ticket gives you access to a 1½ slot in which to bathe and walk around the centre, including the exhibition centre, and each slot has capacity for up to 100 people which means the area can get very crowded.
If you want to snap some photos the best time to do this is between slots where you’ll have 5-10 minutes of quiet to get those shots, or just enjoy soaking and chatting in the pools.
There are no lockers and only a couple of basic outdoor changing rooms, so you may want to wear your swimwear under your clothes.
Parque Terra Nostra
📍 Furnas (São Miguel)
🕚 10:30am - 4:30pm daily
🎟 €16 [adult] €13.60 [concession]
🌡 36ºC – 42ºC
The hot spring at Parque Terra Nostra is truly an icon of the Azores, and a must-see. As you wander through the vast and beautifully curated botanical gardens you have the sense of being transported back in time, and if you’re lucky enough to visit on a cool day you’ll see huge clouds of steam billowing from the thermal pool, which sits at the gardens’ centre like a vast amber jewel.
Hot water gushes from two stone fountains at a very enjoyable 42ºC, and the rest of the pool is a pleasantly even 36ºC all across.
The hot spring opens to the public at 10:30am so that the hotel guests may enjoy it privately before the public arrive, so if you want to enjoy exclusive access to the main pool and a series of private thermal pools you may want to book a stay. The pools tend to be quietest in the morning and fill up towards the afternoon, especially on weekends. Changing rooms are available on site.
Don’t miss the chance to look around the gardens, which is included in your ticket, where you’ll find yams growing, camellias blooming and a forest of dark green palm trees to wander through. You’ll also find an area dedicated to the native and endemic plants of the Azores, which have been progressively wiped out by exotic and invasive species.
Poça da Dona Beija
📍 Furnas (São Miguel)
🕚 8:30am - 11pm daily
🎟 €8 [adult] €6 [concession]
🌡 28ºC – 39ºC
One of the more underrated hot springs on this list we feel is Dona Beija. A small but beautifully curated hot spring garden in the west of Furnas town where you can bathe in blissful infinity pools next to gently waving fronds of papyrus and banana trees. The site consists of four pools, all 39ºC, set around a cooler thermal river (28ºC) which runs through the centre of the gardens. You can also peek inside the cave from which the (extremely hot) thermal water flows.
This spa also has the longest opening hours of any in Furnas, meaning it’s the perfect spot to enjoy an early morning soak or a peaceful night dip. The pools are open until 11pm, although last entry is at 9:30pm, and each ticket gives you a 1½ slot in which to bathe.
Be aware that this spa has the highest concentration of iron of any of the Azores hot springs, which means leaning against any wall or floor of the pool will stain your skin and swimwear, although you will reap many benefits from the minerals at the same time! Changing rooms and lockers are available, as are showers- cold showers are free, while hot showers cost €1. Check out the beautiful volcanic stone jewellery in the gift shop on your way out for a little Azorean souvenir to take home.
Termas das Caldeiras
📍 Furnas (São Miguel)
🌐 N/A
🕚 10am - 10pm daily
🎟 €4 [adult] €2 [concession]
🌡 39ºC
Image credit: Trip Advisor
Located next to Poça da Dona Beija is Furnas’ cheapest thermal spa, Termas das Caldeiras. A €4 entry ticket gets you access to a single 39ºC thermal pool, unless you book a massage in the spa, in which case you’ll have access to three different pools, which sounds like a perfect way to truly unwind and relax.
The pools are located in the garden of a 19th century hotel building which is open til 10pm, allowing for atmospheric night bathes while watching the steam rise around you.
This pool is understandably more popular with locals, being cheaper yet less visually striking than some of the others on this list, but if you’re after a quiet bathe on a budget it could be just what you’re looking for.
Termas da Ferraria / Ponta da Ferraria
📍 Ginetes (São Miguel)
🕚 11am - 6pm Wed – Sunday [spa] / free pools open 24/7
🎟 €45 (spa packages vary) / free
🌡 61ºC [source] 18ºC – 28ºC [pool]
Image credits Travel Honey & By Açores.
Combined in this section are the two hot springs at Ponta da Ferraria; the fee-paying spa/restaurant/bar, and the free hot spring pools which lie in the ocean a short walk away.
The Termas da Ferraria spa is open for a few hours 5 days a week, and offers massages and spa treatments which include access to the single outdoor thermal pool. This building is more commonly used as a bar and restaurant than a spa, being in a fairly remote location and also a lot pricier than the spas in Furnas.
The free thermal springs at Ponta da Ferraria however are a real wonder of nature. Inside the black lava rocks is a super hot volcanic centre that heats the sea water as it rushes in, creating steam and a natural bathing wonder with water temperatures between 18ºC and 28ºC. There is a ladder for access and a rope to hold onto when the waves come in.
This pool is only usable two hours either side of high tide, so plan your visit before you go. It’s also inadvisable and even dangerous to use the pool in winter when the Atlantic is mighty and fierce; we saw someone fall in and nearly crack his head on the rocks trying to enter in wavy conditions, so planning your visit for a calm day in the summer is advised.
Octant · Furnas
📍 Furnas (São Miguel)
🕚 9am – 9pm / 24/7 (for hotel guests)
🎟 €40 for 2h30 (non hotel guests) / free (hotel guests)
🌡 30ºC – 40ºC
Image credit Octant Hotels.
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.
Termas Do Carapacho
📍 Carapacho (Graciosa)
🕚 10:30am - 4pm daily (except Monday) / outdoor pool open 24/7
🎟 Free
🌡 37ºC
Image credit NO Revista.
The only thermal spa on the Azores not on São Miguel island, the Termas Do Carapcho on Graciosa are usually missed off the tourist radar altogether, and, perhaps more incredibly– they’re free.
There’s no pre-booking, no jostling to get the best selfie, you simply turn up and get a ticket on the door for a half hour session, with availability depending on how many people are in the pool as the tiny venue has a max capacity of 10 bathers at any one time.
There’s just two pools, one indoors and one outdoors, with the outdoor pool being fed by a thermal spring that mixes with sea water to create a pleasant bathing temperature. This pool is available to use any time of day. Next to this it’s also possible to swim in the clear Atlantic Ocean in the relative safety of the harbour.
You’ll need to bring your own towel, flip flops and cap, although you can purchase one there if you’re short. Lockers and changing rooms are available on site.
Poça da Tia Silvina
📍 Furnas (São Miguel)
🌐 N/A
🕚 24/7
🎟 Free
🌡 47ºC
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.
Image credit Google.
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.
There are a handful of sources like these across Flores island, all of which are either too hot or too small to bathe in, so if it’s relaxing you want, you’ll probably want to head over to São Miguel.
Fumaroles and volcanic sites
Furnas Caldeiras
📍 Furnas (São Miguel)
🕚 Open 24/7
🎟 Free
The Furnas Caldeiras aren’t just the most iconic sight of Furnas town– they’re practically unmissable. Sitting in the centre of the town this area is a thermal wonderland of awe-inspiring geysers and fumaroles that you can wander around freely, not forgetting that you are in fact standing in the centre of the enormous Furnas crater which holds the town at its heart. The steam from these fumaroles is responsible for generating the unique microclimate over Furnas, which creates distinct weather patterns and allows tropical plant-life to thrive (ever notice how it’s almost always cloudy in Furnas?).
The fumaroles emit steam and gases at temperatures ranging from 70–100°C, creating such a unique and mesmerising sight you’ll want to visit again and again (we visited them no less than 8 times during our 2 weeks on the island!) Keep an eye out for the volcanic rock cobblestones underfoot as you wander around too.
There are also many different cool springs you can drink from, each with different mineral compositions and varying health benefits, plus some of them are even fizzy– look out for the tiled fonts, but be aware– there’s a reason the locals call it ‘sour water’!
Fumarolas Lagoa das Furnas
📍 Furnas (São Miguel)
🕚 Open 24/7
🎟 Free
No trip to Furnas is complete without a visit to the Fumarolas Lagoa das Furnas. This is the site where local restauranteurs drive their pots of stew to be lowered into the ground and cook the unique volcanically-fire Cozido das Furnas stew, an unmissable delicacy on the Azores (try Caldeiras e Vulcões, or Tony’s restaurant does a delicious vegan version too).
Here you can wander around the fumaroles across wooden bridges next to the stunning glassy reflection of Furnas lake. If you want to watch the stew being cooked and avoid the crowds, it’s best to arrive before noon.
The site is also popular with gangs of stray cats, who bask on the heated earth, rolling around next to bubbling pits like agents of Satan.
Praia do Fogo
📍 Ribeira Quente (São Miguel)
🕚 Open 24/7
🎟 Free
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.
The way to reach Ribeira Quente is also a spectacular drive through densely vegetated tunnels, and the car park at the end is free and has refreshments.
Furna do Enxofre
📍 nr. Canada Longa (Graciosa)
🕚 Open 24/7
🎟 Free
Image credit Portugal Travel.
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.
This site is not to be confused with the similarly named Furnas do Enxofre on Terceira island.
So there we have it! The ultimate roundup of the best hot springs, spas and fumaroles across the Azores to help you plan your next adventure.
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The ultimate guide to ALL of the hot springs across the Azores islands. Featuring 10 hot springs, 7 thermal spas and 4 must-see volcanic spots.