Furnas Lake, on Sao Miguel, the Azores, Portugal
Azores

Furnas Lake – Nature and Tradition

Take a day off to hike around Furnas Lake and experience an Azorean tradition with the Cozida, a meal cooked by the lake’s geothermal vents…

Our first adventure in the Azores was a day trip around Furnas Lake, a popular spot on São Miguel, located over the eastern portion of three active volcanoes on the island. Furnas Lake is known for its bubbling, mineral rich geothermal pools and their use for preparing Cozida, a traditional stew cooked in a hole in the ground heated by volcanic activity. This spot of the world is popular with TV chefs – I remember watching Andrew Zimmern and Anthony Bourdain visiting it, both making remarks about how bad the sulfer blowing from the depths of the earth smelled. This is contrasted with what an amazing dish the Cozida is, when pulled out of the earth and served.

Fish eye view of Furnas lake, Azores
View of Furnas Lake

But, I’m getting ahead of myself. First, we would have to work for our meal. Our hike began at the end of the lake opposite the geothermal pools, near an empty gothic church, the Hermitage of Nossa Senhora das Vitórias, which is used occasionally for special ceremonies.

three point perspective of ancient tree canopy
entrance to the church of Hermitage of Nossa Senhora das Vitórias
Cracked earth from dry weather

The Hiking Trail Around Furnas Lake

The guide with us, Andre from Azores Adventures, took us on the easy trail around the lake, on paths that sometimes cut into the thick forest that surrounded the caldera. On this trail, we encountered one of the tallest trees on São Miguel. Looking at its crown from the forest floor would give anyone a rush of vertigo. Although we could easily have done this hike on our own, it was great to have Andre with us, as he knew much about the flora and fauna of the island. His knowledge added an extra dimension to how we experienced the wonderful nature around us.

the church the Hermitage of Nossa Senhora das Vitórias seen on our day trip to furnas lake, azores
The church the Hermitage of Nossa Senhora das Vitórias

The landscape around us was serene and beautiful. Although the forest grew thick higher up the slopes, around the lake, it was well maintained, almost manicured. The grass and trees were verdant green, contrasting with blooming flowers of all colors. It felt as if we were walking through a private garden. For most of the hike, it was only our small group of four and the occasional tourist. The lake was calm, surrounded by perfectly cut grass on its banks, great for picnicking on. At one point, we noticed rough, modern looking, wooden statues dotting the banks of the lake. Andre told us that the statues were chainsaw art, carved from the trunks of dead trees with a chainsaw and turned into detailed, totem like monuments. As modern sculptures go, we thought they were some of the best we’ve seen.

chainsaw sculpture of a wizard in park seen on our day trip to furnas lake
Chainsaw sculptures in the park around the lake

Geothermal Pools of Furnas

After a couple of hours, we reached the geothermal pools. We smelled them before we saw them. The area was a large grey patch of gravel beside dark ponds, steaming as if they were heated by the fires of hell. Most of it was fenced off, which was just as well; especially after Andre told us the harrowing story of a drunk person stumbling into one of the sulfur pools by accident. Amazingly, he managed to swim out and was taken by helicopter to mainland Portugal for treatment. Unfortunately, despite this feat and the heroic efforts of the Portuguese rescue services, he didn’t make it.

smoking geothermal pools seen on our day trip around furnas lake
Smoking geothermal pools around Furnas Lake

Around the steaming patch of ground there were many minivans with restaurant signs printed on them, surrounding the covered vats in the ground. It was lunchtime, and Andre told us that the restaurants were all here to pick up their meals, which had been cooking in the earth since dawn. He told us our meal was also one of the many that were there.

panorama of furnas lake during our day trip, with blue skies and fluffy clouds
Panorama of Furnas Lake

Furnas Lake Villas

Our hike was almost done, and we walked on for another hour before returning to where we started. It was almost time for lunch. We were taken to Furnas Lake Villas, which was a beautiful farm nearby. Driving into its grounds was itself quite an experience. The restaurant and the adjacent villas that are available for holidaymakers were located inside a thicket of forest, lending the entire property an air of mystery. The dining area was in a rectangular bungalow in the centre of the farm; its decor was chill and chic, one of rustic luxury. We found ourselves wishing we’d known about this place earlier. We would have loved to stay here a few nights.

sky and sun reflected off the shining waters of furnas lake
Furnas Lake glittering under the sun

Cozido Cooking – A Meal Cooked in the Hot Springs

Our meal arrived, and not too soon, as we were ravenous by now. The stew of meats and vegetables was served on a huge, steaming casserole and smelled and tasted amazing. I especially loved how the flavours of the smoked sausages mixed in with the sides of beef, pork and chicken, and the vegetables, which are all grown locally on the rich volcanic soil of São Miguel. All in all, our excursion to Furnas Lake with Azores Adventures was absolutely perfect. A great introduction to the interior of the island and a wonderful experience of Azorean tradition.

day trip around furnas lake, forest canopy, three point perspective, azores
The forest canopy from down below