Taking a Relaxing Dip in Poça da Dona Beija

Just like my home in the Pacific Ocean, the Azores are also a volcanically active island chain, this time situated in the Atlantic Ocean, a few hours off the coast of Portugal. For those looking to take advantage of the Azores' geothermal action, the island of São Miguel offers a few hotspots to visit.

One such place that harnesses this geothermal activity is Poça da Dona Beija. The pools are named after a popular Brazilian television show from the 1980s, and are located on the edge of the town of Furnas, an area famous for its bubbling caldrons of hot water and other warm pools. Ben and I had already taken advantage of one of the warm pools at Terra Nostra Garden Hotel a few days earlier, but now on our second trip to Furnas with his whole family, we all got to spend an hour or so pool hopping at this very cool (but warm) spot.

One of the neat things about Poça da Dona Beija, which we personally did not take advantage of, but Ben's sister did, was that it is open late into the evening - 11pm, to be exact. On a future trip to Furnas, we would definitely make this a priority, as the relaxing nature of these pools could only be enhanced by enjoying them at night.

Still, for those who show up during the day, you buy your ticket at the front, and then have access to the various pools throughout the setting. At 6€, it's a pretty good deal, considering how expensive this experience would be back home in Hawai‘i. We opted to spend an extra 1€ to rent a locker, allowing me to keep my fancy camera locked up when I wasn't using it.

We also got changed in the change rooms seen across the bridge below (I didn't want to invade people's privacy by taking pictures while using them), and then off we went to enjoy a nice warm soak in the various pools found throughout the property.

The grounds are really well maintained, with lots of beautiful plants enhancing all the dramatic waterfalls. This former taro plantation harnesses iron rich water (hence the ruddy color) naturally heated by thermal energy to fill their pools. The unusual color and charming surroundings make for a really relaxing and memorable experience. Their website claims a number of health benefits to the experience, but even without them, who doesn't want to just sit and relax in one of these pools just for the fun of it?

As seen below, my in-laws beat us to the first pool that we took a dip in, surrounded by a variety of beautiful plants.

Once inside the property, you can take a dip in any of the pools that interest you. Each pool has a different temperature, and each one we sat in was comfortable and enjoyable.

I loved seeing taro plants (seen below) throughout the property, adding more connections to our island home with the one we were visiting.

After spending about an hour pool hopping, it was time to pack up and head back "home." Even though we had spent a long day of sight seeing around Furnas, this was the perfect place to end our adventure in this geothermically active town.

If you find yourself on São Miguel (which you should), you must check out this incredibly beautiful and relaxing spot. My next visit to the island will include multiple trips, and I can't wait!

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Poça da Dona Beija Information

These pools are located about a half an hour away from our hotel in Riberia Grande, or 45 minutes from Ponta Delgada. Those staying in the town of Furnas will have a much easier time accessing these pools, and if I were to go back to São Miguel again, I would recommend an overnight stay (or two) in this charming town.

Prices as of 2021 are 6€ for entry, which includes access to the changing rooms, parking, and a few other perks, though not a towel rental. An extra 1€ is charged for a private locker. For more current information, visit their website.