São Miguel Furnas: Geothermal Dinner & Hot Springs at Night

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/15

Duration6h

GroupUp to 16

LanguagesEN · PT +1

PickupAt your hotel

Dinner Cooks Underground While You Soak in Thermal Pools

You're picked up at your hotel and driven to Furnas, where you photograph the coastal islet, walk through geothermal vents, eat a full traditional dinner cooked underground, soak in the 39°C thermal pools at golden hour, then return to the village at night to see the fumaroles lit by streetlight and taste mineral water and local sweets. The tour handles your hot spring reservation, so you avoid the entry queue. Total time is 6–7 hours, ending with a 45-minute drive back to your accommodation.

Step-by-step itinerary

Furnas tour with dinner and hot springs

Pick up at accommodation
Stop at Vila Franca coastline
Visit Furnas Lagoon
Sample Cozido das Furnas stew
Relax in Poça da Dona Beija hot springs
Admire Furnas fumaroles and caldeiras at night
Taste mineral waters and local sweet treat
Drive back passing tea plantations

The Experience

By the time you arrive in Furnas on São Miguel, the Cozido das Furnas is already six hours into cooking—buried in the geothermal ground, slow-roasted by the island's volcanic heat. Your guide Ivo meets you at your accommodation and drives you south through the afternoon, stopping at Vila Franca do Campo to photograph the Princess Ring islet before the light starts to fade. The route takes about 45 minutes, and the coastline is worth the drive.

Furnas Lake sits inside an old volcanic caldera, ringed with ferns and endemic birds that wander freely across the grounds. The village itself is small—a cluster of stone buildings, yellow streetlights, and the constant hiss of steam vents rising from the earth. You'll walk through the fumaroles before dinner, watching the geothermal activity up close. The stew that's been cooking all day arrives at the restaurant as a full meal: appetizer, main course with the Cozido das Furnas (meat, vegetables, root vegetables all cooked in that underground heat), dessert, and coffee. Portions are large. Vegetarian options and children's meals are available if you need them.

After dinner, the real reason for coming at night becomes clear. You head to Poça da Dona Beija, the thermal bath facility, where the water sits at around 39°C (102°F)—warm enough to soak but not scalding. The pool is surrounded by vegetation and the sound of birds, even as the sky darkens. This is the golden hour between dusk and nightfall, and the mineral-rich water (high in iron) is known for skin benefits. The facility is reserved for you in advance, so you skip the waiting lines. Bring swimwear and a light-colored towel—the mineral content can stain darker fabrics. Towel rental is available on-site if you need it.

Once you've soaked and changed, Ivo takes you back into the center of Furnas to see the fumaroles and caldeiras at night. The steam catches the yellow village lights against black cobblestone, and it's genuinely unlike anywhere else—the smoke and glow create a landscape that feels otherworldly. You'll taste the mineral water straight from the springs and sample a local homemade sweet, a traditional Azorean delicacy. The drive back to your accommodation takes about 45 minutes along the north side of the island, a quiet return through tea plantations (closed at that hour) where you can rest or ask Ivo for recommendations on what else to do during your stay.

What’s included

Hotel or meeting point pickup, short stop at Vila Franca do Campo islet for photos, entry and guided walk through Furnas geothermal area, full traditional dinner (appetizer, main course Cozido das Furnas, dessert, hot and cold beverages), reserved entry to Poça da Dona Beija thermal baths at golden hour, tasting of mineral spring water and local homemade Azorean sweet, nighttime fumarole viewing with local stories and legends, return drive to your accommodation, bottled water throughout, local tour guide, and tour insurance.
Hot spring entry (€17 extra) can be booked by the operator to skip the queue; otherwise, book it yourself online (€16 per adult).
Vegetarian and children's meal options available at dinner.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Wildscape Azores Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want the full Furnas experience—geothermal cooking, thermal bathing, and the village's nighttime landscape—without arranging transport, dinner reservations, or hot spring tickets yourself. The fixed schedule and reserved entry mean you move through each stop without waiting or negotiating logistics.