Hello fellow nature buffs. Today's daily nature fix is about a little place where a volcano warms up your swim in the sea. It's called Ponta Da Ferraria and is found on Sao Miguel, Azores. This seemed like such an unlikely place to exist. The entire coast in this area is made up of nasty basalt and lava rock, the tide batters the whole area, and then theres this little cove amongst the chaos where the sea water is 100°F and relatively calm.
It's best to go at low tide.... but we didn't. With the tide coming in, the waves barreling through the small cove are a bit larger and more frequent, but it wasn't that bad as long as you hang on to the ropes spanning the swimming area.
^^^Wave incoming!
Ponta Da Ferraria is a pretty heavily visited place, but not just by tourists; by local residents too. Right near the inland side of the cove, there is a thermal pool/stem vent outlet powered by the Siete Cidades volcano. The water hovers right around 100°, but if you really swam near where the hot water enters the pool, it's almost unbearable.
The blue water and white sea foam really looked awesome against the black rock background as well. I can see why this area has been visited, and the thermal spas enjoyed, by people since the 1500's. If you ever happen to visit the island of Sao Miguel, make sure you pencil in some time to visit Ponta Da Ferraria!
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***Daily Nature Fix is a daily blog showcasing the natural world. It is all original content using photos, stories, and experiences from my own travels.***