Visiting Parque Grená: Exploring São Miguel's Untouched Nature

Parque Grená is a natural park located in Furnas, São Miguel. It covers 18 hectares of forest, rivers, trails, and open spaces, all carefully protected to keep the landscape as natural as possible. It is one of the best examples of how tourism and nature can coexist in a sustainable way.

The history of the property began in 1832, when an English tourist bought land by Lagoa das Furnas to build a summer house. The house was only completed in 1858 by Vines, the English consul in Ponta Delgada, who named the property "Grená" after a place where his wife spent her childhood summers in Ireland. Over the years, Grená changed owners several times and was even used as a hotel. Later, it was taken over by the Portuguese State but left abandoned for decades, until a local company started a long restoration project. Parque Grená finally opened to the public in December 2019.

Today, the park invites visitors to explore a raw and untouched side of São Miguel. Parque Grená is not a traditional garden with small paths and viewpoints. It is a big and wild place where you really walk through long trails surrounded by native plants, rivers, and open views of Lagoa das Furnas.

At the entrance of Parque Grená, there is a small café where you can buy your ticket, have a drink, or eat something before or after your walk. The park is big, and you should plan to spend between 1 to 2 hours exploring it. It is important to wear comfortable clothes and shoes, because you will walk quite a lot, and in some areas, the terrain can be uneven.

Visiting Parque Grená is a peaceful experience, but it also leaves a strong message. Walking through such untouched beauty makes you feel responsible for helping to protect places like this. It reminds us that true nature doesn’t need to be changed or improved — it simply needs to be respected and left as it is.

For eco-conscious travelers, Parque Grená is much more than a beautiful place. It is a living example of why protecting our natural spaces matters. If you are visiting São Miguel and believe in sustainable tourism, this is a place you should not miss.