If you are looking for where to stay in the Azores, look no further! Our 4-day stay at Casa da Lagoa on Furnas Lake totally exceeded our expectations, and visiting off-season (in February) made it possible even on a budget.
The Lake House (Casa da Lagoa)
The house itself is full of history, originally built in the mid-1800’s as a lake house for a local aristocrat, José do Canto. The house is still owned by his family, and they are generous enough to share their treasure with lucky travelers. Staying in the lake house really does feel like staying in a 19th century mansion, but with all the modern amenities to make your stay comfortable. Our hosts even welcomed us with a basket of local foods!
We loved the full kitchen that allowed us to stock up on groceries so we could stretch our budget. If you know us, you know that we never travel without at least one trip to a local grocery store!
Forest Garden (Mata Jardim José do Canto)
The house includes private access to the forest gardens across the street, which is such a treat! We enjoyed the gardens several times in the morning before they were open to the public. We especially enjoyed the hike to the waterfall and the plants and trees from all over the world, including several giant sequoia trees from California.
Chapel (Chapel of Nossa Senhora das Vitórias)
Just down the road is the beautiful chapel that José do Canto commissioned to be the burying place for his terminally-ill wife. Our hosts gave us a free private tour of the church and shared the family history. José do Canto and his wife are both buried in the chapel, watched over by the colorful stained glass windows that were brought over from France.
Activities
The house includes bikes and kayaks for your use, so it is easy to enjoy Furnas Lake. We loved biking to the caldieras (hot pools) on the other side of the lake to enjoy the views and see the holes where local restaurants cook their cozido (Portuguese stew).
We can’t recommend the Casa da Lagoa enough if you want a peaceful stay in Furnas, just minutes from town where you can experience hot mineral pools, delicious local food, more caldieras, and some of the most friendly people we have ever met.
If you make it to the Azores, we would love to hear about your trip! We will definitely be going back.
The Best Travel Jacket: Doubles as a Drawstring Bag!