Natural Pool of Ponta da Ferraria

Local name: Piscina Natural da Ponta da Ferraria

The hot spring only makes itself felt at low tide — at high water the pool is plain cold Atlantic.

A natural thermal pool on the coast of Sao Miguel, in the Azores, below the lava point of Pico das Camarinhas near Ginetes. Hot water seeps out of the rock into a basin enclosed by basalt at the ocean's edge, and the thermal effect is felt only at low tide — at high water the Atlantic fills the pool and the temperature is that of the open sea. Access is over the rocks and down a ladder, with ropes strung across the pool to hold on to. Toilets, changing stalls and free parking are on site; the former thermal spa building above the pool is closed.

Volcanic Pool

Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible parking and an accessible toilet on site. Reaching the pool means crossing basalt rock and going down a ladder.
Parking: Two free car parks, 166 m and 233 m from the pool — one on the headland above, one down at the shore. The road linking them is single-lane and controlled by traffic lights.
Difficulty: Short walk from the lower car park, then a climb over basalt and a ladder down into the water. From the upper car park it is a long descent to the shore, on a road that drops at 19%.
Transport: Nearest bus stop 999 m from the pool; the stop at Ginetes is 1.65 km away.
Hours: Open 24 hours, every day.

What makes it special

Hot water seeps out of the rock at the tideline here, and the sea decides how much of it reaches you. With the tide out, the outflow mixes into the pool and the water turns warm; at high water the Atlantic swamps it and the swim is a cold ocean swim. Ropes are strung across the pool to hold on to, because the swell comes straight in over the basalt. Above the water stands the shell of the old thermal spa, closed and empty, and the lava point of Pico das Camarinhas runs out past it towards the lighthouse — the line everyone photographs at sunset.

Good to know

Go at low tide — the thermal water only registers when the sea is out; at high water the pool is cold ocean.
Drive down — the lower car park saves the climb back up from the shore, and the road between the two is single-lane with traffic lights.
Come ready-changed — there are toilets and changing stalls on site, but pulling a swimsuit on inside them is a struggle.
Swim shoes — the entry to the water is over basalt, and guide ropes are there for the swell.
The old thermal spa building stands closed — what is here is the pool, the rocks and the toilets.

Getting there

Most people arrive by car, to one of two car parks: one up on the headland, one down at the shore. Take the lower one. The road linking them is single-lane and controlled by traffic lights, so there is a wait at the top, and it drops at 19% — a descent that needs a car you trust, and at times it is closed to traffic altogether. Walking it instead turns the way back into a long, steep haul. From the lower car park it is a short walk to the pool, and the last few metres are a climb over basalt and a ladder down into the water.

Best time to visit

Better: low tide — the hot outflow is only noticeable with the sea out. Avoid: high tide, when the Atlantic fills the pool and the warmth disappears.

Plan the visit around the tide table rather than around the season; the difference between the two states of this pool is the whole point of coming. Around sunset the headland earns its own visit: the light runs out along the lava point to the lighthouse, and the waves break white on the rocks below.

Sun & daylight

Lake

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Ponta do Sossego Viewpoint