The complex of thermal baths was granted in February by the Government of the Azores (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) to the company Verde Similar Termas.
The company has invested 400 thousand euros in renovations and has reopened the facility, featuring health and wellness installations along with a restaurant/bar.
Luísa Pereira, managing partner of the concessionaire, noted that further renovations will continue in two phases, with the next phase set to begin in October and conclude in February 2026. This phase will include the creation of a leisure pool with ferruginous water and a thalassotherapy area (utilizing seawater for therapy).
The traditional Carapacho spring will be preserved “for health purposes and, due to its historical and empirical recognition, for physical rehabilitation,” she stated.
She stated that a unique worldwide offering will be established.
“There are some [thermal] baths globally that use two types of waters and offer several waters. What’s happening here? The particularity of the Carapacho baths is that we have a different thermal facility from the traditional one, which is thalassotherapy, utilizing seawater for treatment,” Luísa Pereira explained.
She continued: “Thus, combined with the traditional spring and the ferruginous spring, these water sources will allow the baths to function with three different waters, making it a unique facility worldwide with these characteristics.”
The concessionaire’s ambition is to make the Graciosa Island thermal spa a reference “not only in the archipelago but also in the country, Europe, and the world.”
“We consider regional thermalism to have extraordinary potential. […] There’s still a path to be followed, but the path is made by walking, and over the years, we will surely find more to explore, as thermalism is one of the most transversal sectors to various activities such as tourism, health, and leisure. Therefore, there is much to explore, and it can become one of the major sectors of this region,” she remarked.
Following the second phase of renovations, the company plans to undertake a third phase that includes creating an outdoor thermal balneotherapy area with water from the traditional spring.
The total investment, spread over three years, will exceed 1.5 million euros, according to the managing partner of the company, which also operates the Caldeiras baths in the Ribeira Grande municipality on São Miguel Island.
With the reopening of the Termas do Carapacho, nine direct jobs were created.
“Today, we celebrate not only the reopening of the baths but also the commitment to valuing our natural and cultural heritage,” she said.
According to Luísa Pereira, the thermal complex is “one of the region’s greatest assets in terms of tourism and health.”
The Termas do Carapacho, located in the parish of Luz on Graciosa Island, have been recognized for their waters since 1750.
These thermal waters are particularly indicated “for the prevention and treatment of rheumatological conditions, being used in thermal services within a health, leisure, and wellness concept,” according to the VisitAzores portal.
In February of this year, the Azorean executive announced the awarding of “the concession for the exploitation of Carapacho’s hydro-mineral and geothermal resource and the right to use the Termas do Carapacho building to the proposal submitted by Verde Similar Termas.”
The terms of reference set a concession period of 20 years, which can be extended for “five years up to a maximum of 30 years, provided that the concessionaire complies with legal obligations.”
