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The delightful spa town of Furnas has long been of the 'must see' list for all
visitors to São Miguel, not only for the famous thermal springs and lake
but also for the Terra Nostra botanical gardens created in the 18th century by
Thomas Hickling. At the edge of the park, the Terra Nostra Garden Hotel was
established in 1935 to accommodate the growing number of visitors to the
area and the immaculately maintained art deco style of the original building is
a reminder of those more graceful days.
Today the hotel has 81 comfortably furnished rooms, thanks to the addition of
a new wing and although the decorative styles in the old and new parts of the
hotel reflect their respective ages all have the usual modern conveniences of
a full bathroom, satellite television and telephones. Whilst the rooms in the older part
of the hotel have a feeling of elegance and style, they have no
balconies and face the road and the hills beyond, whereas the new rooms all
have balconies overlooking the botanical gardens.
The attractive a la carte restaurant has floor to ceiling windows opening up
splendid views of the gardens for the diners. A special lunchtime feature on
the hotel's menu is the famous 'cozido' a flavoursome stew of assorted meat
and vegetables cooked by burying the pot in a hole in the ground near the
thermal springs. This has to be pre-ordered but should be sampled at least
once.
As the gardens are owned by the hotel, guests have the advantage of free
entrance to the park and to the large natural thermal pool. The water may not
look as invitingly clear as an artificial swimming pool but the warm, mineral
rich water from the springs makes bathing a thoroughly pleasurable
experience. For more modern forms of exercise the hotel has an indoor
heated pool, a small gym, a tennis court and mountain bike hire and its
situation makes it ideal for walkers or those who prefer to explore by car.
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