Azores - What to visit in Flores Island

The Flores Island, and Corvo Island are part of Western Group of the Azores Archipelago.

A premier tourist destination, The Azores are an archipelago of nine islandseach offering a unique and idyllic charm. All the islands are worth visiting, and the western group comprising Flores and Corvo is no exception.

Due to its remote location, Flores Island, is only accessible by plane, through Terceira, São Miguel and Faial Islands.However, all Azores islands can be reached by boat through Atlantico Onlineallowing you to experience a kind of cruise across these enchanting islands.

Nevertheless, Flores Island is well worth the detour, as the entire island is classified as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve —a testament to its indescribable beauty.

So, are you ready to make a trip to Flores Island?

Flores Island

No matter which island you use as a layover, remember that SATA Airlines, is the only company to fly between islands..

However, as said before, you can use ferries. But we only recommend that in central Archipelago. .

Although one of the smallest islands in the Azores, Flores requires at least three full days for a proper visit. The island's stunning landscapes demand time to be fully appreciated.

Even the flight to Flores is magical. From the airplane window, you’ll catch breathtaking views of what awaits you. Keep in mind, though, that Flores is quite windy year-round, so be prepared for some turbulence.

Landing in Santa Cruz das Flores, the island's largest town located next to the airport, you’ll immediately be charmed. The coastal scenery features natural pools.So, start your trip with a seaside walk to ease into the Azorean pace of life.

Before delving into exploration, consider visiting the Boqueirão Whale Factory and Flores Museum . As well as the natural pools (Boqueirão, Poça das Salemas, and Santa Cruz), and the Nordeste Viewpoint Piscinas Naturais ( Boqueirão, Poça das Salemas e Santa Cruz das Flores) e Miradouro do Nordeste. Não te esqueças de visitar o centro da cidade, sempre tão característico com as suas igrejas e impérios. Os residentes são outro dos principais atractivos desta ilha. São das pessoas mais queridas que vais encontrar em Portugal, e não deixes de cumprimentar quem passa por ti na rua.

The Seven Lagoons

Like the rest of the archipelago, Flores Island is from volcanic origin. Its many extinct volcanoes have formed stunning lagoons. Four of the seven lagoons are in the Morro Alto and Pico da Sé Natural Forest Reserve , while the others are scattered along the road between Santa Cruz and Fajã Grande .

Driving this route is essential—not only to see the lagoons but to experience nearly the entire island.

Lomba Lagoon

Therefore, leaving from Santa Cruz going South, the first stop must be Monte das Cruzes Viewpoint. From here, we will get an amazing view of the airport, as well as the entire city of Santa Cruz das Flores.

After, and just a few kilometers away, you will find one of the many Fajãs - Fajã do Conde.

Meanwhile, you arrive to Lomba Municipality,located in Lajes das Flores - The most western municipality in Europe. Here you can visit the first lagoon - Lomba Lagoon. You can also do a small walk in the city center, visiting the magnificent Lighthouse. Besides, along the Comercial Port,you will find the only black sand beacj of the island - Calheta Beach

Exiting the municipality, you will find Fajã de Lopo Vaz – an amazing landscape.

Funda and Rasa Lagoons

However, we continue our road trip, until we reach Lajedo. Between Lajedo and Mosteiro we can find several viewpoints. Namelly, Baía do Mosteiro Viewpoint, Bordões Rock and Ribeira do Fundão Waterfall.

In the Municipality of Mosteiro we follow a secondary road, that will lead us to Funda and Rasa Lagoons Viewpoint

 

Next, we return to Mosteiro, following the Caldeira Road until we reach lugar de Caldeira. Here we will find a dozen of abandoned houses and some granaries. Despite beeing an abandoned place, there is a certain magic walking among those houses. However, we must continue in the Caldeira Road, until we reach Portal Viewpoint. Another breath taking view.

 

Believe us, when we say we are starting to get lost in words, to describe the beauty of this trip. But let's continue.

Finally, you will arrive to one of the most famous places in the Island - Ribeira do Ferreiro Waterfalls (Alagoinha). However, we will not describe, how magical this place is. We will let the photo speak for itself.

Black Lagoon, Long Lagoon, White Lagoon and Dry Lagoon

Next, we entered the Natural Reserve Forest of Morro Alto e Pico da Sé, for our final 4 lagoons.

The Black Lagoon and Long Lagoon are very close to each other, and can be seen from the same viewpoint. Besides, the main thing about these two lagoons is that Black Lagoon has green (ish) tones and the Long Lagoon more darker tones.

 

The Lagoa Seca as the name suggests, it's dry the most time of the year, to allow observing the bottom of the Caldeira. On the other hand, White Lagoon stretches throughout a larger Caldeira.

Fajã Grande

Exiting the reserve, continue to Fajã Grande - the last stop on this roadtrip.

Here, the most iconic place is the Poço do Bacalhau Waterfall.It has this name (codfish) from its resemblance to a codfish shape when viewed at a certain time of day.

 

We will tell you right away, that  Fajãzinha e a Fajã Grande are among Flores' most picturesque locations. Walk through the villages and savor their gastronomy.

If staying overnight, we recommend you stay at Aldeia da Cuada, located between Fajãzinha and Fajã Grande

Plus, in Fajã Grande there is a famous beach zone, close to the Port, called Salema Natural Pools.

Hiking Trails in Flores Island

The island boasts five official trails— four short routes (PR) and one long route (GR).

Hiking in the Azores islands is undoubtedly one of the best ways to immerse yourself in their mystique. However, the archipelago's weather conditions are not always ideal.

Therefore, if you plan to go hiking, you should always bring appropriate clothing and footwear for rain and wind . Additionally, whenever you come across private paths with gates on the trails, make sure to close them after passing through. Never stray from the marked trails—firstly, because you might get lost, and secondly, because you could be damaging the natural habitat.

Three of the trails are linear , meaning they start and end in different locations. Keep this in mind so you can arrange a taxi or hire a hiking guide with a pick-up service.

Which are the official trails?

• PR01 FLO – Trilho da Fajã Grande a Ponta Delgada. Um trilho de categoria linear, considerado de dificuldade alta, permite que vejamos a parte da ilha que não é possível visitar de carro. Passa por zonas como a Ponta da Fajã, a Rocha do Risco, Ilhéu Maria Vaz e o Farol de Albernaz. Sem dúvida, o trilho que consideramos ser obrigatório quando se visita esta ilha. Tem cerca de 13 km e demora em média 5 horas para ser feito nas calmas.
  

  Ilhéu de Maria Vaz @descobrircomalma

• PR02 FLO – Trail from Lajedo to Fajã Grande. A linear trail of medium difficulty , it includes some sections that are considered more challenging, requiring extra caution to avoid slipping. Along the way, you will pass scenic viewpoints offering views of the islets near the Mosteiro parish, Rocha dos Bordões , and the Portal viewpoint. The trail spans approximately 13 km and takes an average of 4 hours to complete at a leisurely pace.

• PR03 FLO – Trail from Lagoas to Poço do Bacalhau . A linear trail of high difficulty , it includes some sections that may be slippery or muddy. The trail begins at the Miradouro das Lagoas Funda and Lagoa Comprida and ends at Poço do Bacalhau . It spans approximately 7 km and takes an average of 3 hours and 30 minutes to complete at a leisurely pace.

• PRC04 FLO – Fajã de Lopo Vaz Trail. A circular trail (in this case, a linear path going back and forth on the same route) of medium difficulty, it takes you to explore the Fajã de Lopo Vaz and begins/ends at its viewpoint.

• Grande Rota das Flores – This trail essentially circles the island from Santa Cruz to Lajedo via Ponta Delgada. Designed only for experienced hikers, it is divided into two segments: Santa Cruz – Ponta Delgada (21 km) and Ponta Delgada – Lajedo (26 km).

Activities in Flores Island

The Azores are truly fortunate in every way. They offer activities that often would require many hours of flying to experience elsewhere.

Therefore, we will leave here some sugestions you can find in Flores Island

• Cannyonnig With over 100 waterfalls, its only natural that, Canyoning is one of the most popular activities in the Island. There are waterfalls to suit all levels from beginners to the most experienced adventurers.

• Scuba Dive - - The incredible biodiversity in Azorean sea, makes this a must-do activity on the island. These waters boast incredible marine biodiversity, including whales, , manta-rays,, whale-sharks, dolphins and others If you love marine life, don't miss out this opportunity.

• 4x4 Tours - - If you don't want to rent a car, this is an amazing and fun alternative to explore the island.

• If you prefer something more relaxed, you can find boat tours to watch whales and dolphins, birdwatching and fishing.

Above all this, who visits Flores Island,Doesn't lose the chance to visit the neighbor island - Corvo Island. Therefore, you can reach Corvo by plane, or speed boat (which we highly recommend). The price is around 40 Euros (roundtrip) and takes about 40 minutes to get from Flores to Corvo.

Always remember that Azores are famous for its unforeseen weather conditions. By this, we mean, it's highly recommended you have Travel InsuranceIati segurosto cover eventual delays and cancelations.

Check our with us and see if we have an upcoming group trip to this paradise.

Are tou ready to Break Free?