Portugal » Sao Miguel

Furnas Jeep Tour: Hot Springs, Tea Plantation & Cozido Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.97 (196 reviews) 99% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellation

1/12

Duration8h

GroupUp to 50

LanguagesEN · PT

PickupAt your hotel

Jeep adventure to furnas crater with cozido lunch and hot pools

You’ll ride through winding roads to Furnas with a local guide, sample fresh-picked tea on a plantation visit, watch your cozido lunch lifted steaming from volcanic earth, then soak in warm thermal pools before heading back to Ponta Delgada—all with drinks included and plenty of small surprises along the way.

Step-by-step itinerary

Travel to Furnas crater
Visit tea plantations and sample tea
See Pico do Ferro viewpoint
Explore Furnas Lake
Visit Caldeiras of Furnas
Enjoy Cozido lunch cooked in hot springs
Relax at Dona Beija thermal pools
Visit Nossa Srª da Paz
Drive through Vila Franca and Ponta Delgada

The Experience

The first thing I noticed was the smell—kind of earthy and eggy—when we rolled the jeep window down near Furnas. Our guide, Rui, grinned and said, “That’s the volcano saying bom dia.” He took us off the main road almost right away, bouncing past mossy stone walls and hydrangeas that looked like they belonged in someone’s grandma’s garden. We stopped at a tea plantation where the leaves were bright green even under the clouds. I tried the local black tea (stronger than I expected) while Rui explained how it’s still picked by hand here. He pointed out a woman working between the rows—her hands moved so fast I almost missed it.

At Pico do Ferro, mist drifted across the crater lake below. It was quieter than I thought it would be—just birds and our footsteps crunching on gravel. Then we headed down to Furnas itself. The caldeiras hissed and bubbled like something alive. There was this spot where you could feel heat rising through your shoes (I kept stepping back, just in case). Lunch was cozido, which is this stew cooked underground for hours in volcanic steam. They pulled up our pot right in front of us—meat, veggies, all soft and smoky. The wine flowed pretty freely too; maybe that’s why everyone at our table started swapping stories in three languages.

I’d heard about Dona Beija before but didn’t expect how silky the hot water would feel after all that walking. Some locals were there too, chatting quietly or just floating with their eyes closed—it felt like time slowed down for a bit. If you want Terra Nostra instead, you can pick that (we stuck with Dona Beija). On the way back we stopped at Nossa Senhora da Paz chapel—the view over Vila Franca was kind of hazy but peaceful. Funny how even after all those stops, I still remember the smell of sulphur clinging to my jacket more than anything else.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel or port pickup and drop-off from Ponta Delgada (most hotels), a guided jeep journey along scenic secondary roads to Furnas crater with visits to tea plantations and caldeiras, unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks at lunch (cozido cooked in volcanic steam), plus time to relax in hot thermal pools before returning home in the evening.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcome

Operated by Greenzone, Animation Turistica Lda.