On the west coast of S. Miguel, there are two not to be missed pearls for those who like to bathe themselves, some warmer than others.
Warning: As in both places I was prepared to go for a bath, and sometimes during a longer trip, it is necessary to take a few moments to relax and let go of the technologies, I just have a photo of Mosteiros, in the distance. But I will put links to photos that portray what I saw.
Ponta da Ferraria
Ponta da Ferraria, in the parish of Ginetes, is a fajã, it results from the flow of hot lava towards the sea. The contact of this high temperature lava, with the cold water of the sea, caused explosions of underwater steam, thus originating a pseudocrater. They are shaped craters, but in function they were never a place of lava emission, hence the name, because they are confused with volcanic craters. This pseudocrater was considered a Geomonument because of its scientific importance.
Another volcanic phenomenon, which made this place so popular, is the fact that there are two hot springs, which heat the sea water in natural pools and they also provide the thermal complex, Termas da Ferraria, where you can enjoy treatments and Spa days. It is said that this water has therapeutic qualities, due to its composition. (It was closed due to Covid.)
The natural pools are accessible for free and there are some changing rooms available. There is also a large parking lot, but without shadows, on the day I was there it would be helpful, because it was very hot, and we had to leave our belongings inside. I think there is also a restaurant, but again, due to the pandemics, it was closed.
But not everything was as beautiful as my description of the place. Ponta da Ferraria's natural pools were full of people, there was little space for people to put their belongings and most of them were on top of rough, basaltic rock, so I would advise you to bring appropriate shoes so you don't hurt your feet when accessing the pools. Because there were so many people, both outside and in the water, I didn’t feel comfortable at all in bathing, I think that even if it was in pre-pandemic times our decision would have been the same, we abandoned the idea of a bath in 30ºC and we left. We still peeked at the changing rooms, wooden made and spacious, but I don't know if there was a lack of maintenance or it was a fluke, there were two of them with damaged doors, making it impossible to close the door for privacy.
I believe that the experience itself can be awesome, if you manage to go at a time of the day when there is less affluence, because a sea of hot water is always a good idea. This place should be visited when the tide is rising or lowering, because if the tide is high, the water does not heat up easily, and if the tide is low, it can be hotter than comfortable. Good luck and tell me about your experience, I hope you can make the most of this beautiful place.
Mosteiros and Mosteiros Natural Pools
This small town is very popular especially for its natural pools or the beach. But there are also those who come for fishing. We did not visit the natural pools, named Caneiros and Poço da Pedra, but from what we saw they are beautiful and look very nice.
In our case, we opted for the beach, with black sand, as in Iceland, but I can guarantee that the water has a much more pleasant temperature, perhaps around 23ºC, surrounded by basaltic rocks, also black and high cliffs full of vegetation. It was much nicer on the beach, most of the people frequenting the beach looked like locals. When I went for a swim, I was surprised because there are a lot of rocks, there isn’t that beautiful black sand, so don’t be surprised like me and watch out for your feet. On this beach, two streams flow to the sea and there is a beautiful view of the four Ilhéus dos Mosteiros, which provides a unique landscape during sunset. It was these islets, from an ancient volcanic island, that gave the name to the parish, being at a distance of about 1km, a privileged place for bird watching.
On the way to reach the Mosteiros, we stopped at one of the several viewpoints where you have a beautiful elevated view of the village below. From where, by the way, I took the only pictures of the Mosteiros, from Ponta do Escalvado viewpoint.
Recommendations:
Check the weather before you go, Spotazores with live cameras. But even if it is raining, if there’s no fog or low clouds you can also enjoy the bath in the hot water of Ponta da Ferraria, but in Mosteiros it will no longer be as pleasant.
If you really want to visit and bathe in Ponta das Ferrarias, prepare your visit, research the time of the tides, avoiding the low tide and the high tide. And also prepare for the eventuality that many people are there with the same idea as you.
For both locations, shoes suitable for walking on rocks and stones can be a great idea.
Near the beach of Mosteiros there may be little parking, be prepared for extra turns around the village, there are some very narrow roads and some are one way.
Click here to see my list of suggestions of places to visit in S. Miguel
