Azores, Portugal

São Miguel: Furnas Lake Loop

Mark Lowenstein

Furnas is one of the more popular visitor destinations on São Miguel, known for its hot springs and the Lagoa das Furnas (Furnas Lake). The 6 km loop around the lake is one of the easier, flatter, off-road runs on the island. There are lovely views of the lake and surrounding mountains, beautiful trees & flowers, and even a bamboo forest. On a hot day, this is a nice opportunity for some shade. There are steaming hot springs at the lake’s northern end.

Mark Lowenstein

A good place to start is the parking lot, at the southern end of the lake. Running clockwise, the path is a mix of cinder and gravel, with a couple of paved and even cobblestone sections. It’s a straightforward, marked loop.

Add-Ons. Hiking trail running in the Grena Waterfalls Park, accessible at the southern end of the lake.

Option: Run from town. If staying in Furnace, it’s possible to run from town to the lake. There’s a map kiosk just off the EN1 road near the Campo de Furnas stadium. It’s 2.4 km from town, involving a 200m climb on the way to the lake.

Essentials
  • Lake loop is 6 km (3.8 miles). Can run from town, adds ~2.5 km each way.
  • Rolling hills
  • Parking lot at southwestern end of lake
  • Parking lots at southern or northern ends of lake. Can also run there from town.

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Essentials
  • Lake loop is 6 km (3.8 miles). Can run from town, adds ~2.5 km each way.
  • Rolling hills
  • Parking lot at southwestern end of lake
  • Parking lots at southern or northern ends of lake. Can also run there from town.