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(UPDATED) The eastern region of São Miguel is the most active region on the island. The ground itself burping up its sulphuric stench in places like Furnas. With epic views and awe-inspiring hikes, you could spend your entire trip on the east coast of the island.

Furnas

There is lots to see around Furnas, though most have a cost. Below are my top things to do that are worth the money, and one freebie.

Cozido

If you’re a meat eater, this really is a must do, though some places also offer a vegetarian version. This might be considered the tourist thing to do, but it really is worth it.

A cozido is a meal consisting of various meats and vegetables cooked in a pot, underground, inside a caldeira. The caldeira provides its own unique flavor found nowhere else. Slightly sulphuric but absolutely amazing, the meats are so tender.

There are two recommended places in Furnas to get a cozido, Tony’s, which I would have never guessed sold great cozido, and the Terra Nostra hotel. We chose the fancy hotel. Attached to the famous Terra Nostra Garden, if you dine there you get free entry into the gardens.

The cozido is brought out by several waiters, painstakingly laying out and explaining the various meats and vegetables. Then comes the rice and finally a tea pot full of the juice it was all cooked in, poured over the entire thing.

Azoreans on São Miguel have been cooking  in these caldeiras for generations. You can go see them just outside of town, for a fee. Cooks bring their pots out very early in the morning, staking out their spot, letting the food cook in these stinking holes for 8 hours. And let me tell you they are perfection.

Terra Nostra Garden

With your free ticket in hand and a very full belly, you can head through the hotel out to the famous Terra Nostra Gardens. The highlight of the gardens is the thermal pools, with the main house overlooking the main pool.

This mineral rich, burnt orange colored pool makes your skin super soft and stains your bathing suit but it’s warm and very relaxing. You can also sneak off to one of their side “hot tubs” for a quick soak.

The garden itself is broken into the various sections. Take a stroll along the well-maintained walking path and spend time seeing it all. It truly is a beautiful and peaceful place.

Caldeiras

Not only is there a place for cooking your cozido, in town you can see just how alive the ground really is. Walking around you can see different stinking pools burping and bubbling up out of the ground. With little taps at each spot you can taste the mineral infused water. It’s disgusting, I can assure you, but fun to try out.

Thermal Pools

This side of São Miguel has several options for a nice soak. One mentioned above, in the Terra Nostra Gardens, but there is also the hidden gem just north of Lagoa de Fogo (the Lake of Fire). This thermal pool will make you feel like you entered Jurassic Park.

For more info on the thermal pools around the island check out this post.

Top Hikes

Pico de Vara

The highest point on the island, this is a must do for all you hikers out there. Set in a preserved forest you need to plan ahead for this one. You will need a permit to hike and you need the best day possible, and even then, you will most likely end up in a cloud.

For all the info on hiking Pico de Vara see my hike to the top.

Chá Gorreana

One of the only tea plantations on the São Miguel, a walking trail has been created around its entirety. Inside the factory you can see the tea leaves being processed and watch a video on the beginnings of the plantation.

Rota da Água – Janela do Inferno

One of the things I found about hiking on this island is the amount of time you spend walking along dirt roads. Not my ideal when it comes to a good hike, but this one had some really cool features worth checking out.

Bring a flashlight, or your phone, as you will walk through several tunnels with no light. It’s an eerie adventure suddenly being swallowed by darkness but an interesting feature.

Lagoa do Fogo

This, in my opinion, is the best hike of all the Azorean Islands. It’s one of the busiest hikes, because it’s just that beautiful and is considered moderate. This 5.5km (one way) route starts on a farm road that eventually enters into a beautiful cedar forest.

The cedar forest then becomes a crushing, dense typical flora of the Azores trail with an aquaduct sporting rainbow trout running beside the trail. Every turn is a photo opportunity before it all opens up to an area with sweeping cliffs around you and channels of the aquaduct with pretty white buildings. Though it is all for hydoelectric power it still is a stunning area.

Shortly after you arrive at the Lake of Fire. You can view the lake from multiple vantage points and there is a shorter trail on the other side of the lake that will take you down to a nice beach as well as a look-off just before that. But the hardwork of the hike is worth it because there are fewer people and pretty spectacular views.

Make sure you bring your swimsuit and take advantage of the pristine waters while your there!

Concluding Thoughts

The eastern part of the island has a lot of character and beauty worth taking the time to explore. After visiting some of the other islands I am always assaulted by the larger population of the island and think I might not like it as much. In the end, however, it has so much to offer from hikes to food to that European city feel. It’s a great island.