Furnas Lake Hike: An Easy Stroll in the Azores

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read our full disclosure for more information.

We spent a week discovering São Miguel and had an amazing time. To see our complete itinerary, be sure to check out our full post!

Azores Webcams

Make sure to check the weather before heading out each day because conditions on São Miguel can shift rapidly and differ from one part of the island to another. To maximize your chances of catching clear views on hikes or at scenic lookouts, use the local webcams for real-time conditions.

You can find the webcams at these links: here and here! The first link is our favorite because it’s displayed on a map of the islands, making it easier to plan your day.

Furnas Lake Hike

Furnas Lake formed within a dormant volcanic crater and is central to the island’s geothermal activity. Set in a green paradise surrounded by botanical gardens with hot springs and fumaroles bubbling along its edges, you can’t miss this destination.

Today, the tradition of cooking cozido, a hearty meat and vegetable stew, is done directly in the steaming volcanic soil by the lake. This hike will take you around the entire edge of the lake. Here is what to expect:

• 4.0 miles, loop
• 500 feet of elevation gain

Parking & Restrooms

Start by parking your car at one of the free and convenient parking lots, right here. During our visit, this lot was free. After you arrive, walk across the road and around the entrance gate to reach the restrooms (open seasonally) on your left.

🪷 Looking for another can’t-miss experience in the Azores? Head to Terra Nostra Garden right nearby!

Capela de Nossa Senhora das Vitórias

As you continue to walk along the road, you’ll soon reach the amazing Capela de Nossa Senhora das Vitórias! This neo-Gothic chapel was built late 19th century by José do Canto, a wealthy Azorean, for his wife. It is their final resting place.

If you’d like to get a close-up view of the chapel and explore the gardens, continue around the chapel, where you’ll reach the entrance.

Mata Jardim José do Canto

The chapel is part of the garden of José do Canto, and you can pay a small fee of 5 euros to enter the gardens. Inside, you’ll find botanical gardens, a lake, and even a gorgeous waterfall. The dense forest of palms and old-growth trees will make you feel like you’ve gone back in time.

From the entrance, the waterfall is a 30-minute walk or so, so plan for some extra time here if you want to see the grounds. We ended up skipping this destination and continued our hike along Furnas Lake.

🌴 Have you visited the amazing views overlooking Lagoa do Fogo yet? If not, check it out here!

Centro de Interpretação Ambiental das Furnas – Furnas Environmental Interpretive Center

To learn about the history of the Furnas area, follow the signs toward the lake to reach the Furnas Environmental Interpretive Center.

The Furnas Environmental Interpretive Center offers interactive exhibits that explore the area’s unique geology, geothermal activity, biodiversity, and human history. You can learn about the formation of the Furnas volcano, the native flora and fauna, and traditional practices like cooking cozido.

Inside, you’ll also find video displays, educational programs, and panoramic views of the caldera and Furnas Lake. If interested, you can also take a guided tour, but plan on reserving a time before your arrival.

💤 Book your stay right in Furnas at the top-rated Terra Nostra Garden Hotel.

Bamboo Forest & Sculptures

At this point, you’ll have walked about 0.7 miles from the parking lot, so there is quite a bit to be seen within the first mile. Continue along the Furnas Lake hike to reach the bamboo forest. At about 1.2 into the hike, you’ll reach this spot!

This is a great area to take some photos and walk through the bamboo down to the lake on the small paths between the bamboo.

As you continue to hike along the road and trail, you’ll come across many wood sculptures created from the trunks of dead or invasive trees. You have probably already spotted some along the way, but these were commissioned by a French chainsaw artist. Some of them are really cool!

Azores Treetop Park & Grená Park

After hiking for about 1.8/2.2 miles, you’ll reach the Azores Treetop Park. If you are looking for some high ropes, slides, and ziplines, this is the place to go!

We continued hiking along the lake to reach Grená Park and the fumaroles. Grená Park charges a fee to visit, and we skipped this one as well. According to the research we did on this park, some visitors said it was really not worth the entrance cost. Just after this, you’ll reach the fumaroles.

🏠 Want to stay close to Furnas? Check out the Octant Hotels Furnas.

Fumarolas Lagoa das Furnas

Take a quick walk on the boardwalks to view the boiling mud pots and steamy thermal fumaroles. This is where cozido is cooked!

Large holes are dug into the hot ground, and pots filled with layers of meats, vegetables, and sausages are lowered into the earth to cook slowly for several hours using only the heat from the volcano and thermal area.

The result is a rich, tender, and deeply flavorful stew infused with the natural aromas of the earth. Restaurants in Furnas town serve this dish daily, often showing guests the exact spot where their meal was cooked, so be sure to check those out after your visit to Furnas Lake!

🌄 Don’t miss one of the best viewpoints on the island. Visit Boca do Inferno!

Hike Back to Your Car

At this point, all there is left to do is hike back to your car. From the fumaroles, it’s about 1.7 miles back to the parking lot. We continued to hike down the entrance to reach the main road and took a right. From here, hike along the road and follow the lake as it meanders back toward the chapel and parking lot.

There are some good spots to stop here along the way that offer some great views of Furnas Lake, along with colorful hydrangeas and the green rim of the volcanic crater as a stunning backdrop. As you reach the parking lot, your Furnas Lake hike has come to an end. This was one of our favorite easy strolls in the Azores!

🏞️ If you are looking for more hiking in the Azores, be sure not to miss the gorgeous waterfall on the Salto do Cabrito Trail.

Restaurants Serving Cozido

So, you finished up your 4-mile hike, and you’re probably hungry at this point. Head to Furnas to try some cozido! Here are some of the popular restaurants that serve this unique dish:

• Restaurante Terra Nostra
• Restaurante Tonys
• Caldeiras & Vulcoes Restaurante

Places to Stay in Furnas

We decided to use Ponta Delgada as a home base for our entire trip, but here are some awesome places to stay in Furnas if you want to be closer to the action here by the lake.

• Terra Nostra Garden Hotel is an elegant historic hotel that opened in 1935, nestled inside the lush Terra Nostra Garden on São Miguel. Guests enjoy Art-Deco style rooms, tropical garden views, and exclusive access to mineral-rich volcanic hot-spring pools and thermal baths right in the garden.
• Octant Hotels Furnas is a modern spa-hotel set in the lush volcanic valley of Furnas on São Miguel, where guests can relax in indoor and outdoor thermal pools fed by natural hot springs 24 hours a day. This location also has an on-site restaurant.
• Hotel Vista do Vale offers an outdoor pool, free continental breakfast, and a great location in the Furnas area.
• Furnas Lake Forest Living offers modern, Scandinavian-styled villas and studios nestled in a reclaimed forest just 150 meters from Lagoa das Furnas, creating a tranquil, nature-immersed escape.

Final Thoughts

If you are looking for a super easy hike in the Azores, add this one to your list. The Furnas Lake hike is mostly flat and has some great viewpoints and areas of interest along the way. We visited Furnas during the cloudiest day with the worst weather, but it was still a great hike!

Although there are many attractions along this hike that you can pay a few euros to visit, we stuck to our original plan and only completed the hike around the lake. This is because we had planned to visit Terra Nostra Garden after our hike here, so we wanted to be sure to save enough time for that.