Parc Terra Nostra

Parque Terra Nostra is a legendary botanical garden and thermal spa in the Furnas valley on the island of São Miguel, in the Azores archipelago of Portugal, where ferruginous-sodium geothermal waters from the active volcanic Furnas caldera fill the park's famous terracotta-coloured thermal swimming pool — one of the most visually striking natural swimming experiences in Europe, where the iron and sulfur-rich volcanic water tints both the pool and bathers a warm orange hue. The park, established in 1780 by Thomas Hickling, a Boston merchant, has evolved over 240 years into one of the world's great botanical gardens, housing over 2,000 plant species from five continents including giant sequoias, tree ferns, and an extraordinary collection of camellias and hydrangeas that have adapted spectacularly to the volcanic island climate. The Furnas valley's active geothermal environment — where hot springs and fumaroles emerge throughout the valley, locals cook the traditional cozido das Furnas stew underground in geothermal heat, and the caldera rim provides dramatic panoramic views — makes Terra Nostra part of one of Europe's most extraordinary volcanic and horticultural landscapes.