Volcano·Guide
Lagoa das Furnas from the Pico do Ferro viewpoint: the lake in its green valley basin, the pale cooking-pit field on the south shore Boardwalk through the steaming fumarole field at Lagoa das Furnas, plumes of steam over the yellow ground A boiling spring in Furnas: gray water bubbling between red-crusted stones

Furnas

From above, a green valley with a lake in it.

Down below, steam rises out of the ground.

And up close, it boils. 96 degrees Celsius.

Scroll –
down into the valley

As of 22 September 2026After the earthquake swarm: back at V0, everything open

On 8 September 2026 CIVISA recorded a swarm of earthquakes under the Furnas volcano, the strongest magnitude 2.9, felt in the village with intensity V. The alert level rose to V1 for eight days – the first increase for Furnas in years. Since 17 September it is back at V0, seismicity is in the normal range. Nothing was closed; today the alert page no longer lists Furnas.

  1. 8 September 2026, 11:47 amEarthquake swarm begins

    Swarm under the volcano, epicenter 4 km (2.5 miles) west-southwest of Furnas. CIVISA raises the alert to V1 the same day – metastable equilibrium.

  2. 17 September 2026Back to V0

    Seismicity is back in the normal range. CIVISA lowers the alert; no closures of attractions were reported during the whole period.

  3. 22 September 2026No alert listed

    The CIVISA alert page lists no system on São Miguel. V0 means normal activity – earthquakes, changes in degassing and small steam explosions remain possible at any time.

Open
24h

Fumaroles in the village

Largo das Caldeiras in the middle of Furnas is always accessible: Caldeira Grande, Caldeira do Asmodeu, the corn-cooking springs. Stay behind the barriers – the springs reach 96 °C (205 °F).

publicfree
Open
56pits

Cooking-pit zone at the lake

The fenced field on the south shore of the lake where the cozido cooks. Municipal staff daily 6 am–8 pm, ticket desk at the entrance; Azores residents and children under 12 free, parking free.

Câmara Municipal da Povoação€3
Open
108°F

Thermal baths

Parque Terra Nostra 10:30 am–4:30 pm, €17 (children/seniors €14.50). Poça da Dona Beija 8:30 am–11 pm, €12 until 5:30 pm, €16 from 6 pm, online only, 90-minute stay.

private operators€12–17
Sources: CIVISA alert page (22 September 2026); Diário de Notícias of 8 September 2026 and Observador of 17 September 2026 on the earthquake swarm; Povoação municipality (cooking-pit zone); Terra Nostra operator FAQ and pocadadonabeija.com (prices 09/2026). Current alert status: civisa.pt/alertas.
The Caldeiras das Furnas in the middle of the village: steaming holes in yellowish ground, surrounded by stone walls and green slopes
In the middle of the village, next to the park, between the houses: the ground has been boiling here since 1630.

Photo: The Cosmonaut · CC BY-SA 4.0

The experienceA valley where the ground boils

You smell Furnas before you see it. Sulfur, wet stone, steam rising from drains and gardens. The village sits in a caldera that produced the largest historical eruption of the Azores in 1630 – and has not stopped steaming since.

At Largo das Caldeiras the Caldeira Grande bubbles behind a low railing, and next to it people lower corn cobs in nets into the hot water. Three kilometers (2 miles) further, on the south shore of the lake, lies the second field: yellow ground, steam from dozens of holes, and in between small earth mounds with wooden lids. The pots cook underneath.

Between 11 am and 1 pm the restaurants come and dig. A man with a shovel, a pot on a pole, steam bursting out of the ground – that is the cozido das Furnas, six hours in the volcanic soil at 64 to 96 °C (147 to 205 °F). By lunchtime it is often sold out in the restaurants.

Then into the water: iron-brown, 36 to 42 °C (97 to 108 °F), under tree ferns in Parque Terra Nostra or in the evening in the pools of Poça da Dona Beija. Bring dark swimwear. The iron stains.

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Furnas: Tea Plantations, Lake and Volcano Guided Tour8 hours · 4.8 ★ · 714 reviews · GetYourGuide
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Furnas: Night-Time Experience with Thermal Baths and Dinner6 hours · 4.8 ★ · 638 reviews · GetYourGuide
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São Miguel: Furnas Volcano & Tea Plantation Tour with Lunch8 hours · 4.9 ★ · 518 reviews · GetYourGuide
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Affiliate links to GetYourGuide: if you book, we earn a commission and the price stays the same. Prices and ratings as of 22 September 2026. Whether the cozido is included is in the operator's description – not every tour with lunch means the stew from the ground.

Two men carry a steaming cozido pot on a pole out of the cooking-pit zone at Lagoa das Furnas, onlookers behind the railing
11 am to 1 pm: the restaurants collect their pots. If you want to eat, you booked ahead.

Photo: Schnobby · CC BY-SA 4.0

The rulesCooking your own cozido: how it works

You do not have to go to a restaurant. If you have a heat-proof pot, you can register it with the municipality and have it cooked in the ground yourself. Povoação municipality has published the procedure – step by step.

1

Register the pot

At the municipal post on the south shore of the lake (tel. +351 926 381 798), daily 8 am–8 pm, year-round. Best the day before – the exact lead time is not published.

2

6 am: into the ground

Municipal staff place private pots in the pits from 6 am. The pot must be heat-proof, lid tight, ingredients layered. Cooking time 6–7 hours at 64–96 °C (147–205 °F).

3

€3 per pot, €3 per person

The pit costs €3 (restaurants €2.50), plus €3 admission to the zone for every person not resident in the Azores. Children under 12 free, parking free.

4

Dig out at midday

Between 11 am and 1 pm the restaurants collect their pots; private pots by arrangement. Eat at the picnic area next door – or take the pot back to where you are staying.

Official prices · as of 09/2026
Admission to the Lagoa das Furnas cooking-pit zone, non-residents · children under 12 and Azores residents free, parking free€3
Cooking a private cozido pot / restaurant pot€3 / €2.50
Environmental Interpretation Center: adults / juniors 7–14 and seniors / family · up to age 6 and residents free€3 / €1 / €5
Parque Terra Nostra: adults / children and seniors – park, thermal pool and jacuzzis€17 / €14.50
Poça da Dona Beija: adults until 5:30 pm / from 6 pm · children 2–6 €10 / €14 · under 2 free · 90 minutes€12 / €16
Dona Beija extras: towel / locker (each plus €20 deposit) / hot shower€4 / €2 / €1
Fumaroles in the village, lake shore, Pico do Ferro, PRC6SMI loop trailfree
Sources: Câmara Municipal da Povoação (cooking-pit zone, registration, fees); São Miguel Natural Park (interpretation center); operator FAQ parqueterranostra.com; pocadadonabeija.com (prices, hours, extras). Whether the municipality formally re-adopted the rates in 2025/2026 could not be established – what is documented is the current state of the municipality's website.

Four places, one valleyWhere to go – and what it costs

Furnas has no summit. It has two fumarole fields, a lake with a loop trail and a viewpoint from which you see all of it at once.

The four destinations · as of 09/2026
Caldeiras da Vila – fumaroles at Largo das Caldeiras in the middle of the village, next to Parque Terra Nostra; always accessible20–40 minutes · free
Caldeiras da Lagoa – cooking-pit zone on the south shore, 3 km (2 miles) from the village, fenced, 56 pits, picnic area, café; staff daily 6 am–8 pm30–60 minutes · €3
PRC6SMI Lagoa das Furnas – loop from Largo das Três Bicas over Pico do Milho around the lake, Nossa Senhora das Vitórias chapel, cooking pits; 9.4 km (5.8 miles), easy3 hours · free
Miradouro do Pico do Ferro (567 m / 1,860 ft) – turnoff from the ER2-1ª northwest of Furnas, parking, wheelchair ramp, benches; in the morning before the clouds15 minutes · free
The cooking-pit zone on the south shore of Lagoa das Furnas from above: pale fumarole field, car park, gardens and the brown lake shore
From Pico do Ferro you see how small the zone is – and how much steam rises from it.

Photo: Bybbisch94, Christian Gebhardt · CC BY-SA 4.0

A pond between tree ferns and camellias in Parque Terra Nostra in Furnas, a small waterfall flowing into it
Terra Nostra: laid out in 1775 as a Boston merchant's summer house, today 800 camellia varieties and a brown pool at 38 °C (100 °F).

Photo: Kritzolina · CC BY-SA 4.0

Good to knowGetting there, best time, tips

Getting there

Without a car: Public bus 318 (Varela & Cª) Ponta Delgada – Vila Franca – Furnas, about 1.5 hours; on weekdays four departures according to third-party timetables (6:40 am, 8:30 am, 10:15 am, 4:00 pm from Ponta Delgada), two on weekends – check locally. Alternatively day tours from Ponta Delgada.

By car: From Ponta Delgada on the expressway toward Vila Franca do Campo/Povoação, then ER1-1ª/ER2-1ª to Furnas, about 40 km (25 miles), 45 minutes. Parking: free at the cooking-pit car park at the lake (municipality), at Largo das Três Bicas (start of PRC6SMI), at Pico do Ferro; Terra Nostra: car park at the casino; Dona Beija: own car park subject to availability.

  • From Ponta Delgada · 45 minutes by car, about 1.5 hours by bus
    Car along the south coast and the ER1-1ª, or bus 318
  • From Ribeira Grande · about 40 minutes
    Car along the north coast (ER1-1ª) and the mountain road over Pico do Ferro

Best time to go

Year-round; Furnas often sits under cloud, so head for Pico do Ferro in the morning when it is clear. At the cooking pits, 11 am–1 pm is when the restaurant pots are dug out. The fumaroles in the village are most impressive on cool mornings (more steam). Poça da Dona Beija is more expensive from 6 pm but atmospheric; to save money, go before 5:30 pm. Terra Nostra closes at 4:30 pm – plan the bath and garden for the morning.

Who it suits

Children
Very good: short distances, thermal baths (Dona Beija charges from age 2, children only with an adult), corn on the cob cooked in a fumarole. Hold children by the hand at the fumaroles – boiling water and mud right behind low railings.
Minimum age
none; cooking-pit zone free under 12, Dona Beija free under 2, Terra Nostra free up to 5 (per the operator's ticket page in search results)
Fitness
Village and fumaroles on level ground; loop trail around the lake 9.4 km / 5.8 miles, easy; Pico do Ferro by car.
Heart and lungs
Smell of hydrogen sulfide and CO2 at the fumaroles; keep your distance if you have asthma. The valley is an area of diffuse CO2 soil degassing (IVAR studies) – no problem for visitors outdoors, relevant for residents in hollows and cellars. Consult a doctor before using the thermal baths if you have cardiovascular problems (36–42 °C / 97–108 °F).
Wheelchair
Pico do Ferro with a ramp; interpretation center accessible; Largo das Caldeiras and Terra Nostra mostly flat with gravel paths; cooking-pit zone on level paths.
Dogs
Terra Nostra: assistance dogs only; Dona Beija: assistance dogs only; otherwise no published rule.
Clothing
Rain jacket year-round (Furnas is one of the wettest places on the island), dark-colored swimwear – the iron-rich water stains light fabrics brown; bring your own towel or rent one.
Footwear
Sturdy shoes for the lake loop; slippery, warm ground at the fumaroles.

Tips you will need on site

  • Two fumarole fields, not one: the one in the village (Largo das Caldeiras) is free; the one with the cooking pits is 3 km (2 miles) away on the south shore of the lake and costs €3.
  • Watch the digging at 11 am–1 pm: that is when the restaurants collect their pots from the pits – to eat, book a restaurant beforehand, the cozido often sells out at lunchtime.
  • Cooking your own cozido works: register the pot with the municipality (tel. 926 381 798), €3 fee, heat-proof pot, placed from 6 am.
  • Dark swimwear for Terra Nostra and Dona Beija – the iron water stains light fabrics brown for good; bring a towel (Dona Beija rents them for €4 plus a €20 deposit).
  • Dona Beija online only, 90-minute stay, entry in order of arrival; €4 cheaper before 5:30 pm.
  • Terra Nostra closes at 4:30 pm; the ticket covers park and bath together, no food may be brought in (food truck in the park).
  • Drive up to Pico do Ferro first, while the clouds are not yet hanging in the valley; parking and ramp available.
  • Take the barriers seriously: the springs reach 96 °C (205 °F), and in places the ground is only a thin crust; the municipality names this explicitly as a safety rule.

A short history

  • The Furnas caldera is one of the three large active volcanic centers of São Miguel (alongside Sete Cidades and Fogo) and, according to CIVISA, one of the most active volcanic systems in the North Atlantic.
  • 3 September – 2 November 1630: Plinian eruption with more than 1.5 m (5 ft) of pumice and ash in parts of the island, three days of darkness, several hundred dead (one chronicler counts 190 dead in laurel groves alone); ash reaches Flores 545 km (340 miles) away.
  • 1775: Thomas Hickling, a merchant from Boston and later US consul, builds the summer house by the thermal pool that becomes Parque Terra Nostra.
  • 1877–1888: construction of the neo-Gothic Nossa Senhora das Vitórias chapel on the west shore of the lake.
  • 1 March 2015: Povoação municipality introduces admission (then €0.50) and fees for the cooking-pit zone at the lake; in 2018 residents are exempted from admission.
  • 2008: Lagoa das Furnas becomes a Ramsar wetland; the Furnas Monitoring and Research Center accompanies the restoration of the lake.
  • 8–17 September 2026: earthquake swarm under the volcano, CIVISA raises the alert to V1 for eight days – the first level increase for Furnas in years, with no consequences for visitors.
The neo-Gothic Nossa Senhora das Vitórias chapel on the west shore of Lagoa das Furnas, dense forest behind
The chapel of 1888 on the west shore: a stop on the PRC6SMI loop, three hours around the lake.

Photo: Ymblanter · CC BY-SA 4.0

Evenings in the waterFurnas by night and as a full-day tour

Poça da Dona Beija is open until 11 pm, and the evening tours from Ponta Delgada combine the bath with dinner. If you want to use the whole day, combine Furnas with the tea plantations on the north coast.

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Furnas by Nightfall: Mystic Tour (Dinner Inc. - Hot Springs)6 hours · 4.9 ★ · 103 reviews · GetYourGuide
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São Miguel: Furnas and Nordeste Full-Day Tour with Lunch8 hours · 4.7 ★ · 93 reviews · GetYourGuide
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Furnas: Thermal Springs & Tea Plantation Day Tour with Lunch8 hours · 4.7 ★ · 62 reviews · GetYourGuide
from€75

Affiliate links to GetYourGuide: if you book, we earn a commission and the price stays the same. Prices and ratings as of 22 September 2026.

A thermal pool at Poça da Dona Beija in Furnas: iron-brown water between stone walls, wooden posts at the edge, bathers in the water
Dona Beija: five pools on the stream, open until 11 pm, online only – and four euros more from 6 pm.

Photo: Carlos Pacheco from Toronto, Canada · CC BY 2.0

Outdated onlineWhat other sites get wrong

“The cozido is cooked on the village square in Furnas.”
The cooking pits are not in the village but 3 km (2 miles) away on the south shore of the lake, in the fenced municipal zone (€3). In the village itself corn is cooked at the fumaroles.
“Admission to the caldeiras is €0.50 or €2.”
The 2015 rate is outdated. The municipality's website gives €3 per person, residents and children under 12 free, parking free.
“Poça da Dona Beija costs €6–8.”
Outdated. As of 09/2026: €12 until 5:30 pm, €16 from 6 pm, children 2–6 €10 or €14. Tickets online only, 90 minutes.
“Terra Nostra costs €8 and is open until 7 pm.”
The operator FAQ gives €17 (children and seniors €14.50) and opening until 4:30 pm, last entry 4 pm.
“Furnas is an extinct volcano.”
CIVISA classes Furnas as an active system and raised the alert to V1 for eight days in September 2026. The 1630 eruption was the largest historical one in the Azores.
Earth mounds over the cozido pits in the cooking-pit zone at Lagoa das Furnas, the lake and green crater walls behind
Every mound a pot. Underneath, 64 to 96 °C (147 to 205 °F), for six hours.

Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0

Quick answersBefore the visit

Is Furnas safe after the September 2026 earthquakes?

CIVISA lowered the alert to V0 on 17 September 2026; seismicity is back in the normal range, and nothing was closed during the eight days at V1. V0 means normal activity – earthquakes and small steam explosions are never ruled out in a hydrothermal field. Today's status is at civisa.pt/alertas.

Where exactly are the cozido pots buried?

Not in the village but in the cooking-pit zone on the south shore of Lagoa das Furnas, 3 km (2 miles) from the center. Admission €3, parking free, municipal staff daily 6 am–8 pm.

Do you have to book Terra Nostra or Dona Beija in advance?

Dona Beija yes – tickets are online only, entry in order of arrival, 90 minutes. Terra Nostra sells at the desk and online, but online only 15 days ahead; the ticket covers park and bath together.

What is the difference between Terra Nostra and Dona Beija?

Terra Nostra is a botanical park with one large iron-brown pool and two jacuzzis, open 10:30 am–4:30 pm, €17. Dona Beija is five smaller pools on a stream, open until 11 pm, €12–16, stay limited to 90 minutes.

Does Furnas smell of sulfur, and is that dangerous?

Yes, the fumaroles smell of hydrogen sulfide. Outdoors that is not a problem; if you have asthma, keep your distance. The real danger is the boiling springs – so stay behind the barriers; in places the ground is only a thin crust.

Is Furnas open right now, and is it dangerous?

As of 22 September 2026: everything is open. CIVISA had raised the alert to V1 from 8 to 17 September 2026 because of an earthquake swarm (strongest quake magnitude 2.9) and then lowered it to V0; the alert page no longer lists Furnas today. In everyday terms the only danger is the boiling springs – stay behind the barriers.

How much does it cost to visit the caldeiras in Furnas?

The fumaroles in the village are free. The cooking-pit zone at the lake costs €3 per person (Azores residents and children under 12 free), parking is free. The interpretation center costs €3, Terra Nostra €17, Dona Beija €12–16.

Can you cook your own cozido in Furnas?

Yes. Register the pot with Povoação municipality (post at the lake, tel. +351 926 381 798, registration 8 am–8 pm), €3 fee, heat-proof pot; municipal staff place private pots from 6 am, cooking time 6–7 hours at 64–96 °C (147–205 °F).

When are the cozido pots dug out?

The restaurants collect their pots between 11 am and 1 pm; that is when you see the most. If you want to eat, book a restaurant in Furnas beforehand.

How much is Parque Terra Nostra and how long is it open?

€17 for adults, €14.50 for children and seniors, including the thermal pool and jacuzzis. Open 10:30 am–4:30 pm, last entry 4 pm, year-round except 25 December. Tickets at the desk or online (15 days ahead).

How much is Poça da Dona Beija?

€12 per person until 5:30 pm, €16 from 6 pm; children aged 2 to 6 €10 or €14, under 2 free. Tickets are online only, the stay is limited to 90 minutes, open 8:30 am–11 pm (last entry 9:30 pm).

Do you need a guide in Furnas?

No. All sights are accessible on your own; guided tours are optional at the interpretation center (advance booking 72 hours, 45 minutes) and through tour operators.

How do you get from Ponta Delgada to Furnas?

By car about 40 km (25 miles) and 45 minutes along the south coast. Public bus 318 (Varela) takes about 1.5 hours and runs only a few times a day on weekdays; check the timetable locally.

Is Furnas suitable for children?

Yes, very: short distances, warm bathing water, corn on the cob cooked in a fumarole. Hold children by the hand at the fumaroles and at the lake; in the cooking-pit zone children under 12 are free.

What should you bring?

Rain jacket, dark swimwear (the iron water stains), towel, water shoes and small change for showers and lockers. Sturdy shoes for the lake loop.

Where is the best viewpoint over Furnas?

The Miradouro do Pico do Ferro (567 m / 1,860 ft) on the ER2-1ª northwest of the village, overlooking the lake, fumaroles and valley, with parking and a wheelchair ramp. Drive up in the morning before clouds move into the valley.

When did Furnas last erupt?

1630: from 3 September to 2 November the strongest historical eruption of the Azores raged, with several hundred dead. Since then the volcano only steams; CIVISA monitors it permanently.

More of the AzoresTwo more volcanoes, two very different sets of rules

Sete CidadesThe twin lakes in the west of São Miguel: Vista do Rei, Boca do Inferno, trails PR3 and PR4 – all free, only the hotel is off limits.Mount PicoPortugal's highest mountain: registration, GPS tracker, 320 people a day – and €1,200 for a rescue after breaking the rules.VulcanoThe Italian version: mud bath, fumaroles and a crater that is closed at times.

Sources · accessed on 22 September 2026