Terra Nostra Garden
A 200-year-old botanical park around a vast iron-rich thermal pool. Swim in the rust-coloured water among century-old trees — and accept that your swimsuit may never be white again.
São Miguel · volcanic spa valley
Furnas
São Miguel’s interurban services — the system that would carry you to the Furnas side of the island — are operating under the Regional Government’s 2026 continuity arrangements while new contracting proceeds. Treat any older timetable with suspicion and verify the current operator and times through the official notice first.
By bus
Getting to Furnas
São Miguel’s interurban services — the system that would carry you to the Furnas side of the island — are operating under the Regional Government’s 2026 continuity arrangements while new contracting proceeds. Treat any older timetable with suspicion and verify the current operator and times through the official notice first.
- Interurban São Miguel is not the Ponta Delgada MiniBUS — the two systems are separate.
- Confirm the current operator and timetable via the Government notice before travel.
- Cozido lunches run to their own clock: reservations are dug up around midday, so a late-morning arrival matters.
Source: Government of the Azores: Continuity of public transport services on São Miguel () · Diário da República: Resolution 57/2026 () · Government of the Azores: Transport Plan for the Azores 2021–2030
Read the official continuity noticeBefore you go
Times change. Take them with you.
Published departures shift with the season. Azores Bus keeps the current timetable in your pocket.
Worth your time
What Furnas does best
Furnas is a valley that simmers. Fumaroles hiss in the village centre, mineral springs pour out dozens of different waters, and by the lake, restaurants haul their cozido stew out of the steaming earth at midday. Add the Terra Nostra garden with its famous thermal pool and you have São Miguel’s most singular half-day — best planned with the island’s transitional bus situation in mind.
Cozido das Furnas
The valley’s signature dish is buried in pots by the lake and cooked by the volcano itself for hours. Restaurants lift their pots late morning; book ahead in season.
The fumarole fields
In the village and by Lagoa das Furnas, vents steam and bubble year-round. The lakeside boardwalk gets you close to the cooking pits safely.
Good to know
- Bring a dark swimsuit for the thermal pools — the iron water stains light fabric.
- The valley is warm and sheltered even when the coast is windy; microclimates are an Azorean specialty.
- Poça da Dona Beija, the smaller open-air thermal pools, stay open into the evening.
Optional experiences
Pairs well with the bus
Curated for this destination. The full list lives on the experiences page.
Canyoning Ribeira dos Caldeirões canyoning
São Miguel · Nordeste
A guided waterfall and canyon activity using slides and rappels in the natural park.
Getting there: The activity starts at the park. Plan the bus, taxi or rental-car journey to the meeting point before booking.
Check availability Photo: Jules Verne Times Two · CC BY-SA 4.0Booking through these links supports this free guide at no extra cost to you.
Keep exploring
More places the buses reach
São Miguel · twin crater lakes Sete Cidades The green and blue lakes in a drowned volcano — the single most famous view in the Azores. Plan the ride 
São Miguel · fire lake Lagoa do Fogo A pristine crater lake in a nature reserve on the island’s central ridge — wild, protected, and worth the effort. Plan the ride 
São Miguel · the capital Ponta Delgada The Azores’ biggest town: basalt-and-whitewash arcades, a working waterfront, and its own municipal MiniBUS. Plan the ride