Grena Park Waterfalls

Parque da Grena / Lagoa das Furnas, Azores Region, Portugal

About Grena Park Waterfalls


Hiking Distance: roughly 3km loop
Suggested Time: allow about 90-120 minutes

Date first visited: 2024-06-23
Date last visited: 2024-06-23

Waterfall Latitude: 37.76977
Waterfall Longitude: -25.33872

Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Grena Park Waterfalls (or Cascatas de Parque da Grená in Portugese) consist of at least 6 waterfalls on an unnamed seasonal stream passing right through the park.

Although Parque da Grená is adjacent to the Caldeira Lagoa das Furnas (known for lakeside recreation and thermal features), the former is in a separate, paid area.

Lagoa_das_Furnas_215_06232024 - One of the Grená Park Waterfalls - this one was Waterfall #4
One of the Grená Park Waterfalls – this one was Waterfall #4

This park was said to have opened in December 2019, but it was closed shortly thereafter due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thus, it wasn’t until after the pandemic had passed that the park finally opened to the public.

That said, the land upon which the park existed had changed hands since 1832, when it was acquired by an English traveler, but was since developed by the British Consul of Ponta Delgada named Vines.

The consul named the property Grená after the name of his wife’s childhood family house in Ireland.

Lagoa_das_Furnas_126_06232024 - View of Lagoa das Furnas from a lookout high above Grená Park
View of Lagoa das Furnas from a lookout high above Grená Park

Anyways, the paid area means that in order to visit Parque da Grená, I had to pay an additional fee in order to get through the turnstile blocking entry into the park.

This turnstile was about a 200-250m walk from the main car park for the Caldeira Lagoa das Furnas on the northwestern side of the lake.

As of my visit in late June 2024, I paid 10 euros for a ticket (this is the per person rate), which can be a bit steep (despite the signage here suggesting this is “so cheap”).

Thus, I did this excursion on my own since my wife and daughter wasn’t really interested in doing this hike let alone spending another 20 euros for the privilege.

Grena_006_iPhone_06232024 - Looking up at the full height of the so-called English Leap Waterfall (Waterfall #1), which I suspect was named after the British Consul of Ponta Delgada
Looking up at the full height of the so-called English Leap Waterfall (Waterfall #1), which I suspect was named after the British Consul of Ponta Delgada

Anyways, Grená Park not only features waterfalls, but it also has views of the Lagoa das Furnas as well as some captive animals that I’m sure the families would enjoy.

Of the 6 numbered waterfalls in the park, Waterfall #1 is the uppermost one, and it’s called the “English Leap Falls” (also Poça da Inglesa or “English Well”).

I suspect the name of the falls has something to do with the British Consul who first developed this park.

It’s by far the tallest of the waterfalls (probably around 40-50m), but it does tend to have a light, wispy flow, especially in the Summer.

Grena_013_iPhone_06232024 - This was the full context of Waterfall #3, which had a spring and alcove next to an interesting sloping stranded cascade over what appeared to be a basalt bedrock surface
This was the full context of Waterfall #3, which had a spring and alcove next to an interesting sloping stranded cascade over what appeared to be a basalt bedrock surface

Other notable waterfalls that I’ve found to be most impressive involve Waterfalls #3, #4, and #6.

Waterfall #3 had a sloping rock surface with a spring and alcove next to it, and it required a bit of an uncomfortable rock scramble to get a good look at it.

Waterfall #4 had a nice 5-10m plunge with a bit more volume than the wispy English Leap Falls, and could very well be my favorite one in the park.

Waterfall #6 was a wide cascade easily seen from a wide footbridge that was well downstream of Waterfall #3, but it was possible to see both waterfalls from this bridge.

Lagoa_das_Furnas_188_06232024 - This was what the signs labeled as Waterfall #6, which was a wide cascade that was multi-stranded in its light flow as of late June 2024
This was what the signs labeled as Waterfall #6, which was a wide cascade that was multi-stranded in its light flow as of late June 2024

As for exploring all of the waterfalls in Parque da Grená, I managed to do it by hiking a counterclockwise loop that was about 2.5km long (including all the detours).

There’s actually a pretty extensive network of criss-crossing trails crossing the creek in several spots, which provided options for customizing this hike in countless ways.

There were map signs helping you locate where you are in the park, but there were also pamphlets and PDFs of the park to refer to if you need something with you while on the trail.

The trail conditions were well-maintained with railings and steps in the steepest parts, and the rough scrambling was pretty much kept to a minimum (I recalled only Waterfall #3 had one such rough scramble).

Lagoa_das_Furnas_245_06232024 - Looking down at one of the lower cascades beneath some swinging bridges and ladder steps within Grená Park
Looking down at one of the lower cascades beneath some swinging bridges and ladder steps within Grená Park

Since my focus was more on exploring all the waterfalls, I even backtracked to hit up the waterfalls that I missed earlier on (which might have increased the distance even more than for a typical visit).

Ultimately, I spent about 90 minutes within the Grená Park, but we also spent about an hour at Lagoa das Furnas, so we wound up spending about 2.5 hours away from the car.

Authorities

The Grena Park Waterfalls are located on the island of São Miguel of the Azores Autonomous Region of Portugal. It is privately managed by Feliz Terra, which is doing so under direction of the Azores Autonomous Region Government. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you can try visiting the Grená Park website.

Lagoa_das_Furnas_004_06232024 - Before getting to Grena Park, we had to walk past some thermal features of Caldeira Lagoa das Furnas
Lagoa_das_Furnas_009_06232024 - Closer look at what appeared to be some kind of 'ovens' taking advantage of the fumaroles at Caldeira Lagoa das Furnas
Lagoa_das_Furnas_014_06232024 - Looking back at the Caldeira Lagoa das Furnas as I was making my way to the entrance for Grena Park
Lagoa_das_Furnas_034_06232024 - A sign showing some of the features of Grena Park, but I swore they took photos of the creek being way more swollen than what I ended up seeing
Grena_002_iPhone_06232024 - Context of the ticket dispenser and the turnstile with some signage at the entrance of Grena Park
Lagoa_das_Furnas_039_06232024 - The Grena Park FAQ sign, which claimed the 10 euro price was 'cheap'
Lagoa_das_Furnas_041_06232024 - Going around some captive animals in the beginning part of Grena Park
Lagoa_das_Furnas_044_06232024 - Closeup look at one of the rabbits captive within Grena Park
Lagoa_das_Furnas_045_06232024 - Context of one of the captive rabbits area within Grena Park
Lagoa_das_Furnas_051_06232024 - Hiking on the trail going up in the direction of the waterfalls as I started a counterclockwise loop in Grena Park
Lagoa_das_Furnas_054_06232024 - A shelter and bench by the trail within Grena Park
Lagoa_das_Furnas_057_06232024 - Continuing to go up the well-maintained trail within Grena Park in the direction of the English Leap Falls
Lagoa_das_Furnas_063_06232024 - Continuing to explore the well-forested terrain of Grena Park en route to the English Leap Falls
Lagoa_das_Furnas_064_06232024 - Some kind of interesting photo spot along the trail I took in a counterclockwise direction towards English Leap Falls. Note that behind this swinging bench, there was another connecting trail that continued towards other waterfalls
Lagoa_das_Furnas_071_06232024 - Checking out a small waterfall in the creek on the way to the English Leap Falls
Lagoa_das_Furnas_079_06232024 - Going past one of a handful of rest benches on the way up to the English Leap Falls in Grena Park
Lagoa_das_Furnas_083_06232024 - Sign pointing the way to the English Leap Falls or English Well as the trail started ascending lots of steps in earnest
Lagoa_das_Furnas_086_06232024 - Going up many steps on the way up to the English Leap Falls
Lagoa_das_Furnas_088_06232024 - Looking down at the many steps taken to get up to the English Leap Falls
Lagoa_das_Furnas_089_06232024 - Still ascending towards the English Leap Falls, but I did take an uphill detour to a miradouro over Lagoa das Furnas
Lagoa_das_Furnas_094_06232024 - Looking down at the steps leading up to the miradouro over Lagoa das Furnas near the English Well
Lagoa_das_Furnas_098_06232024 - Partial view over the Lagoa das Furnas
Lagoa_das_Furnas_099_06232024 - Looking down at another one of the spur trails descending steeply towards the creek responsible for the English Leap Falls
Lagoa_das_Furnas_100_06232024 - Signed trail junction where I kept going ahead to continue climbing towards the Poço Inglesa in Grena Park
Lagoa_das_Furnas_103_06232024 - Still ascending towards the English Leap Falls
Lagoa_das_Furnas_105_06232024 - Finally making it up to the English Leap Falls or English Well
Lagoa_das_Furnas_108_06232024 - Broad look towards the brink of the English Leap Falls or English Well Falls
Lagoa_das_Furnas_111_06232024 - Checking out the detour for the miradouro on the left that led up to an overlook of Lagoa das Furnas
Lagoa_das_Furnas_112_06232024 - Ascending the very steep trail leading up to the miradouro over Lagoa das Furnas
Lagoa_das_Furnas_113_06232024 - The miradouro over Lagoa das Furnas near the English Leap Falls
Lagoa_das_Furnas_129_06232024 - View over Lagoa das Furnas just as the sun briefly popped out again
Lagoa_das_Furnas_133_06232024 - After having my fill of the English Leap Falls and the miradouro, it was time to descend the trail and continue the counterclockwise loop towards other waterfalls in Grena Park
Lagoa_das_Furnas_134_06232024 - Continuing to descend to explore the rest of Grena Park through its waterfalls
Lagoa_das_Furnas_139_06232024 - Approaching a bridge spanning the creek responsible for all of Grena Park's waterfalls
Lagoa_das_Furnas_143_06232024 - Looking upstream at Waterfall #3 from the long footbridge over its creek
Lagoa_das_Furnas_147_06232024 - Context of the partial view of Waterfall #3 in Grena Park with some people standing before it for a sense of scale
Lagoa_das_Furnas_150_06232024 - Looking down at the somewhat rough and slippery surface to get a cleaner look right in front of Waterfall #3 in Grena Park
Lagoa_das_Furnas_151_06232024 - Another look at the uncomfortably slippery and rough rock scramble in front of Waterfall #3 in Grena Park
Lagoa_das_Furnas_154_06232024 - Finally getting in front of the Waterfall 33 in Grena Park
Lagoa_das_Furnas_172_06232024 - Looking down across the bridge and some lower cascades beneath it after having had my fill of Waterfall #3
Lagoa_das_Furnas_178_06232024 - Descending on the other side of the creek walking among some impressively thick reddish trees in Grena Park
Lagoa_das_Furnas_180_06232024 - Continuing to descend among some impressive trees in Grena Park
Lagoa_das_Furnas_187_06232024 - Going across another one of the footbridges spanning the creek responsible for all the waterfalls in Grena Park
Lagoa_das_Furnas_194_06232024 - Looking down at the context of the trail and Waterfall #4 in Grena Park
Lagoa_das_Furnas_200_06232024 - Finally standing before Waterfall #4, which I almost missed as I had overshot it while doing the loop hike in Grena Park
Lagoa_das_Furnas_218_06232024 - Another look at Waterfall #4 in Grena Park, which I found to be my favorite of all the ones I saw during my late June 2024 visit
Lagoa_das_Furnas_221_06232024 - Another contextual look at the Waterfall #4 with some steps fronting it
Grena_021_iPhone_06232024 - Stitched contextual look at Waterfall #4 and its plunge pool in Grena Park
Lagoa_das_Furnas_229_06232024 - Looking down at the Waterfall #4 as I was climbing back up to the continuation of the main loop trail in Grena Park
Lagoa_das_Furnas_237_06232024 - Going down a steep log stepladder-like part of the trail
Lagoa_das_Furnas_240_06232024 - Looking back at an angled profile look at the steep log stepladder
Lagoa_das_Furnas_249_06232024 - Returning to the front of Grena Park after having completed the loop hike
Lagoa_das_Furnas_251_06232024 - Back at the thermal features of Caldeira Lagoa das Furnas
Lagoa_das_Furnas_254_06232024 - Looking towards Lagoa das Furnas, which was a nice recreational spot as well as a photo spot
Lagoa_das_Furnas_255_06232024 - Last look at the thermal features of Caldeira Lagoa das Furnas before returning to the parked car


The Grena Park Waterfalls are located on the northwestern shores of Lagoa das Furnas on the island of São Miguel.

Since we stayed in the town of Furnas, I’ll describe how we drove to the Lagoa das Furnas Thermal Park from the town.

Lagoa_das_Furnas_001_06232024 - The paid car park for Caldeira Lagoa das Furnas
The paid car park for Caldeira Lagoa das Furnas

From the EN1-1A intersection just to the east of the Repsol gas station in Furnas, we drove west along the EN1-1A for about 2km to a signed turnoff on the right for “Caldeiras”.

Then, we followed the access road around the north shore of Lagoa das Furnas for about 700m to its end at the car park for the Caldeira Lagoa das Furnas.

I recalled that this car park charged us 3 euros per person in cash, which can add up if you have more people in your party.

Therefore, I could totally see why people parked for free along the access road and then walked into the park to avoid paying this fee.

Drive_for_Failed_Rosal_020_MingSung_06242024 - On the cobblestone road skirting the eastern shore of Lagoa das Furnas
On the cobblestone road skirting the eastern shore of Lagoa das Furnas

Anyways, this drive should take about 10 minutes (though GoogleMaps claimed that it should only take 5 minutes).

If you’re coming from the other direction as you drive north along the eastern shores of Lagoa das Furnas on the cobblestone road, then you’d want to turn left onto the access road about 1.8km past the car park for the south side of Lagoa das Furnas.

For context, Furnas is about 8km (about 15 minutes drive) north of Ribeira Quente, about 13km (under 30 minutes drive) northwest of Povoação, about 25km (about 30 minutes drive) east of Ribeira Grande, 34km (over 30 minutes drive) southwest of Nordeste, and about 45km (under 60 minutes drive) east of Ponta Delgada.

Find A Place To Stay

Downstream to upstream sweep from the base of the English Leap waterfall in light wispy flow


Checking out Falls 3 and some segmented cascades as seen from a long footbridge over its creek


Sweep showing the pair of light-flowing waterfalls before an awkward scramble to a lower spot better showing the alcove to the left and another sweep of the same 2 falls


Downstream to upstream sweep from a footbridge fronting the cascade labeled 6 with the falls labeled 4 in the background


Upstream to downstream and back sweep of the satisfying falls 4 seen from the edge of its plunge pool

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Tagged with: grena park, parque da grena, english leap, furnas, lagoa das furnas, sao miguel, acores, azores, portugal, loop hike



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Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
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