Things to do in Furnas

Furnas sits inside an active caldera in the east of São Miguel, well inland — its own beach, Ribeira Quente, is on the far side of the ridge, so don't plan this as a coastal stop. The village is built around a valley of steaming ground and mineral springs.

The best-known ritual is cozido das Furnas: pots of meat and vegetables go into a hole dug at the edge of Lagoa das Furnas in the morning, cook for 5 to 7 hours on volcanic heat alone, with no fire involved, and are hauled out by rope around midday, usually pre-ordered through a restaurant rather than dug by visitors themselves.

The valley also holds the Terra Nostra garden with its iron-rich thermal pool and the smaller Poça da Dona Beija, each covered on its own page, plus dozens of other mineral springs scattered through the village.