Fodor's Expert Review Caldeiras da Lagoa das Furnas

Along Lake Furnas you’ll see pockets of steam rising from the vents in the volcanic soil, which is used to cook the famous cozido (stew, usually made from a variety of meats). If you arrive around noon, you can see the cozido pots being lifted out of the earth after hours of cooking. At other times, the caldeiras are an atmospheric place for a short stroll on the paths constructed around the bubbling mud, or a longer but still relatively easy hike around the lake itself, which takes about 90 minutes.