Caldeira Velha Hot Spring

Nestled in the mid-Atlantic, is located an ideal holiday destination known as the Azores archipelago. It’s a collection of nine islands, the biggest of which is the São Miguel Island.

Nicknamed as ‘The Green Island, this island offers a number of activities and sightseeing opportunities. During your trip to São Miguel, you will discover its unique history, lovely climate, and geography for yourself.

The main highlights of this island are its lakes and hot springs such as Caldeira Velha, located a quick 25 min. drive outside of Ponta Delgada in the island’s center. It offers the most exclusive bathing opportunity to its visitors.

Costs only €8 for entry into the park and admittance into the hot springs, it feels as if you’ve been whisked away to another place and time.

Three main bathing pools are available in these springs:

• iron-rich warm water is fed by a larger upper terrace pool;
• significantly warmer are the second and third lower terrace pools.

A spring feeds water from the upper to lower terrace while passing over a pool of superheated thermal vents.

These vents are accessible, but be warned: you should not enter them unless you want to know what it feels like to literally be a lobster.

Getting to Caldeira Velha

Driving down the road from the Fire Lake at Ribeira Grande, you can easily reach Caldeira Velha. There you will have to walk for some time along with a wooden walkway. You will find a medium-sized pool in which falls the cold water cascade between the Quaternary aspect and thick vegetation.