Furnas Lake – The Azores

Furnas Lake

Sao Miguel Island is well known for its picturesque crater lakes, but perhaps the most overlooked of these is Lagoa das Furnas (Furnas Lake). It may not be quite as photogenic as Lagoa do Fogo, or have a made-for-Instagram overlook like Lagoa Verde and Lagoa Azul, but Lagoa das Furnas is a spectacular lake in its own right. Furnas Lake and the neighboring village of Furnas were collectively one of the most memorable and relaxing parts of our trip to the Azores.

Getting There

Located just outside the village of Furnas on the eastern side of Sao Miguel Island, Furnas Lake sits inside one of the calderas of the active Furnas Volcano. The drive from the center of the village of Furnas to the lake takes about 5 minutes, or you could walk to the lake in about 30 minutes. If you’re coming from Furnas on Route EN-1A, you will have the option to take sharp right turn to the entrance to the fumaroles, or you can continue for another mile to a different parking area that provides easy access to the church (Cappela da Nossa Senhora das Vitorias). Both parking areas have a nominal parking fee.

The road that runs along the side of the lake

The Fumaroles

The Fumarolas da Lagoa das Furnas are located on the northern tip of Furnas Lake and are easily the lake’s biggest tourist attraction. While the Furnas has plenty of geothermal activity, the fumaroles on the water’s edge are one of the most impressive examples of just how active the area really is. A series of boardwalks leads visitors through the billowing clouds of sulfuric smoke emanating from the mud pools and fumaroles. If you’ve ever visited Yellowstone National Park, this is very similar to the many boardwalks of the famous geyser basins (the smell will be familiar too).

One thing that makes this particular area unique is that the restaurants in town use the geothermal heat to cook the local stew known as “cozido”. Each restaurant has its own designated hole in the ground where they submerge massive pots of meat and vegetables each morning in order to be fully cooked by lunch time. We ate a cozido at Tony’s in Furnas, and it was the most outrageous amount of food we’ve ever been served. We split the meal for two, and while it was delicious, we were faced with a heaping pile of local meats and vegetables which we had no chance of finishing.

 

The Ducks

The Trail

View from Above