Travel

Ponta da Ferraria: A Hot Spring in the Atlantic

Hi everyone! This post in continuation of my full coverage of my trip to the Açores, the group of Portuguese islands in the middle of the Atlantic. Check out my other posts about the Açores here.

If you’ve been following my coverage of my visit to São Miguel, then you already know the island is full of natural wonders. From spectacular mountains to wondrous waterfalls, this island has so much to offer. Even after staying a whole month I still feel as though I have barely seen all the island’s treasures. I have yet another wonderful wonder to share with you:Ponta da Ferraria. It is a hot spring in the sea itself.

After driving down a very steep hill, you arrive to the shore. You park your car and walk just a short distance to some stairs which lead you to an enclosed natural pool. You can take a dip in the ocean and feel the warm water rushing from the bottom. The temperature in the water ranges from 18º C to 28º C. It is a somewhat strange experience. One moment you feel the cold Atlantic and the next you feel hot streams of water running into you. The water can get quite active, so there’s a rope you can grab! My cousins were trying to encourage their young son to try it out. My baby cousin was a bit scared at first, but eventually jumped right in. He really enjoyed the rough water, though still hanging onto the rope.

There’s a spa and swimming pool at Termas de Ferraria, but this is separate from the natural pool which is completely free to the public! Enjoy walking on lava rocks and figuring out how to navigate yourself to the pool created from the hot spring.

As it is a natural pool, I would suggest some kind of water shoes so you don’t risk scraping your feet against the rocks at the bottom. But, I can tell you from my experience with my Azorean family that no locals do such a thing. They jump in with no fear! I have yet to completely turn Azorean but I admire my family so much. They really know how to have fun and they take risks everywhere they go.