LAGOA DAS FURNAS LOOP HIKE

The Lagoa das Furnas trail offers a nice exploration through São Miguel’s vibrant landscape, mixing cultural landmarks and natural wonders. This circular path, starting at Furnas village, unveils the island’s geothermal activity and lush scenery which is perfect for a leisurely hike.

LAGOA DAS FURNAS LOOP FACTS

Distance: The total distance for this hike was almost 9km

Hike duration: This hike’s duration was almost 2h, adding a few breaks it shouldn’t take more than 4h

Elevation gain: The total elevation gain for this hike was 140m

Difficulty: This is an easy stroll around the lake, nothing too difficult

Gear needed: Depends when you hike, I’d recommend at least a wind breaker and a sun protection. Read this guide if you’re unsure what else to bring.

My Strava map upload + GPS file: LAGOA DAS FURNAS

GETTING TO LAGOA DAS FURNAS

By car: Just navigate to Lagoa das Furnas, there are a few car parks around where you can park.

By bus: Although there is a bus stop I found it almost impossible to navigate how buses work in that area, car is your best bet.

MY EXPERIENCE HIKING LAGOA DAS FURNAS

The trail begins at the parking place near Largo das Três Bicas in Furnas and takes you through the village, passing landmarks are the Furnas Monitoring & Research Centre and the famous geothermal activity area where the traditional Cozido à Portuguesa is cooked using the earth’s heat. We hanged around for a bit a decided to go around the whole Lagoa das Furnas despite the not-so-great weather and tons of clouds. Sadly, views were not meant for us this day.

So instead we just focused on the greenery and (as always) insanely beautiful flora everywhere. The entire route is basically a walk on a cobbled stone path, it’s a nice stroll with plenty of interesting plants around.

Conclusion

Well, this is not a typical hike you can find on my blog but since Lagoa das Furnas is apparently a must-see on this part of the island, we decided to try take as much out of this trip as possible. Definitely not my favourite trail but might be a great option for history-hungry visitors.

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Wish you safe and happy hiking!