ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I'VE EVER DONE!!…read more Ok, now if that doesn't get your attention, I don't know what else will! When researching things to do in Sao Miguel I came across this company on Tripadvisor and started to look at their website options. I really had no idea what Canyoning was, but the pictures looked cool, and I signed our group up to do a half day tour. Communication via email with Paulo ahead of time was a breeze and we were able to get the time slot we wanted, and give him our information ahead of time so he had the right shoes, wetsuits etc for us. I was also able to pay ahead of time via paypal, which makes my credit card rewards very happy lol. Paulo arrived right on time for our pick up and we stopped on the way to grab another couple. 3 more people met us at the site, so our group was a total of 9, with Paulo and Carla there as our guides. After a short trek up the canyon it was time for some waterfall rappelling, some waterfall jumping, stream exploring, and overall fun! I can't say enough good things about the day. We all walked away completely in awe of the beauty, the fun, the professionalism, and the overall experience!! The pictures and videos Paulo took on his gopro were emailed to us that same night! Now, I just need to get back so I can go Coasteering next!!

We had a great canyoning trip with our guides Bruno and Carla. We were in town for the day on a…read morecruise ship and I had seen the rave reviews for Azorean Active Blueberry on Trip Advisor. I reached out to the owner, Paulo, who was incredibly helpful and responsive. He arranged for our transportation to the site and was very communicative about what we would need for the day. In all, our group was 8 with our 2 guides. The entire time, I felt comfortable. Carla and Bruno took the time to get to know our names and make us feel comfortable. During moments where I would normally feel anxious, their expertise made me feel at ease. This is a great tour for beginners to those with intermediate experience. The hike up to the top was a workout! Thank you for a great experience! Very reasonable price as well.

Really neat spot we hit while on the west side of the island. The drive down to the parking lot can…read morebe a bit precarious, but once you reach it there is ample parking. I recommend water shoes as the shoreline is all volcanic rock and a lot of it is sharp. You can explore the immediate coastline for some awesome views and then head past the restaurant to the natural pool. There is an indoor and outdoor pool available for use for a fee. The restaurant has a few snack/light options and service was quick and the servers were kind. Restrooms were clean if you need to change on site. The natural pool is free to enter and is at the end of short trail, and during low tide it is warm but not so much during high tide so be mindful if you want a fully warm experience. There are life guards on duty and two ladders available to enter and exit the pool. Not terribly crowded and nice even at high tide. Great way to cool off after hiking around Sete Cidades.

This is my first trip to Sao Miguel and Termas da Ferraria has ensured it won't be my last. We…read morespent the day in the spa, and also venturing down to the thermal pool. We also headed down even further to the natural thermal area surrounded by volcanic rocks. They installed a couple of ladders and ropes so you don't have to fear getting swept out into the ocean. After that we sat outside and had lunch and then headed back into the spa. It was starting to get really busy as we were leaving at 4pm. It was a great find!

We booked the night thermal and dinner activity and had a great time…read more Guide Paola picked us up at our Ponta Delgada hotel exactly the on time and we proceeded to pick up two other couples. As we drove to Furnas he did a great job pointing out some of the interesting sights along the route and answering our questions. First stop was dinner in a local restaurant with the local volunteers (can't remember the Portuguese name) which included wine and dessert. Around 9 we reached the thermal bath and he helped us get oriented before giving us free time to explore the 5 different baths. While in theory this is something you might be able to do on your own, we were really relaxed and tired after 90 minutes soaking in the steaming water so it was especially great to have a designated driver. Thanks Paolo for a great evening!

Two full days touring the Island of São Miguel with Paulo was not enough. Paulo's energy,…read moreknowledge and love for the Azores made him the ultimate in tour guides. First of all, we were introduced via YouTube to Paulo prior to our trip after a lot of research on the island. We watched a great video on one of his tours posted by YouTube Blogger "Here Be Barr." I recommend you checking out the Azores series by "Here Be Barr." For our first outing with Paulo, he picked us up at our AirBnB in his comfortable Mercedes van for a late day tour of the island. He matched us up with other like minded travelers and we viewed cool places and learned so much about the island through his entertaining tour. Our evening culminated with a delicious dinner in Furnhas and a trip to the Thermal baths. Make sure you have him take you for the special corn that is cooked underground from the volcanic heat. He dropped us off late night right back at our hotel. Our Second Day with Paulo was spent on a more private tour of the island that included rides through the countryside and volcanic mountains and a trip to a beautiful tea plantation. He is a tour guide that makes everyone on the tour feel like they have his undivided attention. We asked so many questions and he entertained us with all the answers through historical facts and colorful stories. We look forward to spending time with Paulo on our next trip to the Azores see more of what Sao Miguel has to offer.

Beautiful nature park with a geothermal pool!…read more I recommend arriving a bit before they open or right when they do so you secure parking nearby - we got the last spot right by the entrance when they opened on a Friday morning. 10 euros/pp. Going when they opened allowed us to have the pool to ourselves for about 10 minutes which is nice! No lockers but there are bathrooms, showers, and changing rooms. Everyone just puts their stuff around the pool, it's pretty safe. Pool is yellow bc of how rich in iron it is - not bc it's dirty!

We loved this place on a drizzly, sometimes sunny, April day. Our kids particularly loved the frogs…read moreand the fish in the pond. Bring coins (1 euro) so that you can buy fish food. The paths are a lovely easy walk. The hot tub/jacuzzi was unexpectedly closed when we visited, but the pool was open. We all loved it. Warm but not hot, waist deep for adults and shoulder deep for our littlest. Make sure you bring towels--they are not provided. We were a little surprised by this (Americans; I guess we tend to expect convenience). They are also not available to rent, which was a bummer. The only option is to purchase towels for around $30 in the gift shop. Definitely a worthwhile stop.

Very disappointed. Much smaller than I expected. Very small pools to accommodate the tickets they…read moresell. Lockers are run down and basically wooden boxes some with holes and barely fit a back pack. Very few outdoor changing rooms, which makes no sense, again, for the amount of people that they let in at the same time.

A stunning, magical, green epitome of nature that you must visit in Azores! They told us that you…read morepay the entrance fee of €3, you can go look inside, and if you want to go into the thermal pools, you pay another €5. Because we were with a tour guide, we got a discount, so we paid the bare minimum entrance fee of €1.50, but once we decided to do the thermal pools, there wasn't even anyone around to take our money for the extra entrance fee. So we got to do it all for dirt cheap! I guess you're supposed to give it to them on your way out, but no one does. So just pay the lower amount, because in the end, it doesn't even matter. The trees, moss, ferns, and flowers are majestic. The first two thermal pools you see are the hotter ones, and the one with the waterfall is the colder one. You can take unique photos in all three, but my favorite was the one with the waterfall. Definitely bring a swimsuit you don't care about, because the water will give it a yellow tint. And there are changing rooms and bathrooms, but nothing else, so bring a towel, flip-flops, and water. This was one of the highlights of our Azores trip - make sure to go!

This park is stunning. It feels like it's straight up from a fairy tale or something from a fantasy…read moremovie like Chronicles of Narnia. At any moment I was waiting for a centaur to just show up. It's just so beautiful it feel unreal. The trail is easy to follow. The park is very well maintained and entrance is free of charge. You will see amazing flora, gorgeous waterfalls, and some historic mills. I spent a few it spent about two hours just walking around admiring the scenery. This park was highly recommended by my taxi driver and I think it was my favorite thing I did in Portugal. 5 stars!

Lagoa das Furnas was one of my two favorite places to visit on Sao Miguel, a huge, calm, gorgeous…read morelake, home to flocks of placid ducks and geese, with excellent hiking trails up the mountains off the main path around the lake. The great draw for me was the quiet. It was possible to find near-total solitude early in the day, to breathe with trees, to listen to bird calls, free from the roar of tour bus engines. There is a small entrance fee -- very nominal IIRC, something like 50 cents for adults and older children, free for very young children. This Lagoa is one of the three larger, better known crater lakes on the island. It's still slightly off the beaten track for international tourists, but is perennially popular with local vacationers, many of whom spend an entire day making cozidas, grilling, picnicking and strolling around it. The hiking trails are well maintained and there's the intoxicatingly sweet smell of Kahili ginger flowers everywhere (those clusters of yellow flowers you see and smell all over the island). The paths the branch off from the main lake trail are cool and dark well into the middle of the day, offering respite from the heat of the sun. There's a lot to explore on these side trails: abandoned buildings, carved wooden statues, an old church, even a waterfall we heard of (but didn't see). The main, mostly flat trail is suitable for even young children, while many of the side trails branching into the mountains can be navigated carefully with an active, energetic three-year old, with some help on the larger steps (and a good carrier for when the baby steam runs out). Our six-year old sprang up them like a mountain goat. Right by the parking lot at the northern tip of the lake, there are fumarolas, where it's a big deal for families and restaurants to cook all-day cozidas (stews) in the hot, bubbling, sulfur yellow mud. There are also restrooms (home to a good number of tiny, slender, beautiful cats), a lovely picnic area set among pine trees, a few vendors selling snacks, fresh juice, and souvenirs. We didn't make it all the way around, but we hear the entire circumference of the lake takes about two hours to walk, with about 1/3 of the way along EN1-1A, a busy main road.