Centro de Interpretação Ambiental da Caldeira Velha — Attraction in Ribeira Grande

Amazing place regardless of the weather, but even more amazing if you know about these hacks: Book your tickets in advance and, if you can, arrange your schedule so as to visit the hot springs on a weekday to avoid crowds of tourists (the place IS touristy though, so you'll probably be with a lot of other people). When booking your tickets, choose the first time slot of the day (the one that starts at 9.00 AM). Before heading to the park, pack a swimsuit, a towel AND swimming shoes! Ideally, it's better to already wear a swimsuit under your clothes (this will be life-changing for your experience, you will see why if you continue reading). If you plan on taking a backpack with you, make sure to empty it from all things that won't be necessary for visiting the park and leave as many things as possible in your car or at your accommodation. If you've just entered the park and haven't put on your swimsuit yet, you may want to change. DON'T stop at the very first changing cabins you'll see. There are other cabins higher up on the path which are considerably less crowded, behind which there are lockers to store your stuff in. On your way to those cabins, you will find a building with a desk, a small museum and, close to it, another small building with showers. Go to the desk and ask for a lock to close your locker (if you've booked the tickets online, I think it is possible to also mention whether or not you may want to use a locker... and trust me, you do!). After getting the lock at the desk, head over to the changing cabins near the waterfall and get changed. Put your personal belongings in the lockers behind the cabins. A lot of people also put their stuff on the ground near the springs. Head back towards the desk where you came from and take a shower (most tourists don't even see the showers so they don't use them and that might be very unhygienic!). You are ready for a nice...

I was extremely disappointed with this place. I'd be more understanding if the place was free like many places in the Azores but I paid 34 Euros (2 adults, 2 kids + 2 lockers). I was mad to find broken changing cabins that smelled of piss. No wonder because there is a total of 1 wc for women and 1 wc for men in the park where they allow hundreds of visitors. That should be illegal. There are 5 changing booths at the lower part of the park and 5 more up at the cold pool. People are changing their underwear in public next to the booths because time is limited and lines are long and slow. The pool walls are ugly to touch, stones are green with algae or moss (no idea what it is called). Wter is so murky that you cannot see the steps and cannot see where you are going so there is risk of injury. In the cold pool with the waterfall there are a lot of underwater stones that you cannot see. I saw an old woman washing her shoes in the pool with ~20 other people. I cannot describe how disgusted I felt in the park, I tried to touch as little as possible. Also, I was under the impression there is something to see besides the thermal baths - I was wrong. The lockers cost 2 Eur each and are really small - you won't fit more than 1 person's shoes, clothes and a small backpack. The only good thing about the place is the spacious parking lot. I suggest not to visit this place. I spent a week on San Miguel and saw many great places. If you want wild nature and free thermal bathing, go to Ponta da Ferraria. If you don't mind soaking in communal thermal baths with other people - go to Dona Beija where our family also spent 32 euros but at least the facilities are better and the water is cleaner. AVOID until they fix the facilities and reduce number...

In short: It is a uniqe place for sure, but not worth the price and hours waiting in front of the enterance.

REVIEW DURING COVID-19, Jul 2021 Unless you are not in the first 50 people early in the morning when the site opens you have to wait for 2 hours to enter. And by the words of one of the employees, "IT IS ALL DAY, EVERY DAY LIKE THAT. If you want to visit it, waiting in the queue is the only right option."

It is unique because there is not much places in the world where you can bathe in natural geothermal water in the middle of tropical forrest. But in my opinion this place is too overrated and very touristy, which I don't like.

The ticket costs 8€ if you want to take a bath in thermal pools, and 3€ just for visit. The 8€ ticket is valid for 2hours.

The queue is very long (from entrance all the way to backside parking) because only 50 people are permitted to be in the site due to pandemic. There are four thermal pools, three with hot water (around 38°C) and the largest one with colder water (~24°C). In large pool 24 people are allowed to be inside at the same time, and other three are for 9, 6 and 11 people. Everyone wants to experience warmer pools which is the additional reason why the waiting line is so long. Definitely don't visit it if you have sunburn because it is unbearable to be in the warm water. The water is full of algae and debris so be prepared for that and also to clean your bathing suits. You can find closets for changing clothes before pools near the entrance road and at the very end near the biggest pool.

There is only one female and one male toilet which is definitely not enough.

Parking is really spacious and new....