Full-Day Jeep Tour in Furnas – Azores Highlights

The group meets at the Picos de Aventura base in Ponta Delgada for a tour briefing. The jeep then heads north, tracing the coastline before ascending toward the island's central highlands along the North Coast road.

The route climbs to Monte Escuro, a misty highland area blanketed by native laurel forest and pastureland. This elevated vantage point offers a sense of the island's dramatic topography before continuing east.

A stop at Gorreana, the oldest tea plantation in São Miguel and the only one still operating in Europe, allows visitors to walk among the terraced rows of tea bushes and learn about the estate's production history. The plantation has been active since 1883.

Before descending into the valley, the group pauses at Pico do Ferro for a commanding view over the Furnas caldera, its lake, and the surrounding forested ridges. The descent into the valley is followed by a visit to see the traditional Cozido das Furnas being lifted from its geothermal cooking pit.

After lunch in Furnas, the group visits the parish caldeiras — a field of fumaroles and boiling mud pools set within a public park. The area demonstrates the raw geothermal energy that characterises this part of the island.

The afternoon includes time for a thermal soak at Poça da Dona Beija, a series of open-air pools fed by natural hot springs. The return journey to Ponta Delgada follows the South Coast, with a stop at Vila Franca do Campo, São Miguel's original capital.