Our guided tours provide a fascinating insight into the history, landscapes and everyday life of the nine islands of the Azores.
On our guided tour of Flores, you’ll explore enchanting, white-washed coastal villages, dazzling waterfalls and grandiose sea cliffs. The whole island is a protected UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: a designation designed to preserve the balance between sustainable human development and the preservation of Flores’ spectacular landscapes.
Tours normally begin with a visit to the miradouro overlooking the sea cliffs at Baia da Alagoa and the village of Ponta Ruíva – home to the Casa do Machado museum. The Casa is a preserved example of a typical rural home on Flores, giving a feel for life on the island in the 1800s (and in some cases, through to the end of the 1900s). You’ll see there was little separation between home and farm, with agricultural tools and kitchen utensils sitting side by side.
It’s a short drive to Ponta Delgada and the Ponta de Albarbaz lighthouse – the most westerly lighthouse Europe. You’ll also see Flores’ smaller neighbour Corvo in the distance: the islands were an important navigation beacon for ships sailing the trade winds between mainland Portugal and her Brazilian colonies. Post the industrial revolution, these westerly islands quickly lost their significance as steam-driven ships transformed Atlantic navigation.
Look out for the Ilheu de Maria Vaz (also known as the Islet of Gadelha), the small island just offshore which is an excellent example of prismatic disjunction – where cooling lava has fractured vertically, creating pillar-like structures (similar to the Giant’s Causeway). The north coast of Flores is dotted with sea stacks, caves and grottos which are only accessible by sea.
Leaving the coast behind, you’ll head inland and upwards towards Morro Alto, (the highest point on Flores at 914m), before arriving at the island’s beautiful central ‘Sete Lagoas’ or seven lagoons: Lagoas Branca, Seca, Negra, Comprida, and further south Lagoas da Lomba, Rasa and Funda das Lajes.
Unlike many of the other islands of the Azores, there are no records of geological disturbances or volcanic eruptions on Flores and Corvo since their settlement in 1452 – geologically, the calderas which the lakes occupy are considered extinct. Together with Corvo, the island sits on the western-side of the tectonic plate boundary between the North Atlantic plate and the Eurasian plate, with the other seven islands of the Azores on the eastern-side. The plates are slowly moving apart – increasing the distance between Flores and the main island of Sao Miguel by around 25mm each year.
Your next stop is Vila das Lajes – Flores’ most-southerly town. Dating back to the 16th Century, Lajes was once the religious centre and original ‘capital’ before the expansion of Santa Cruz. The town’s secluded harbour was key to the island’s whale-hunting community, and remnants of the Fabrica da Belaia (whaling factory) are still visible today. The end of hunting in the 1980s had huge social and economic impacts in the Azores, with an estimated 30% of the population emigrating to the USA and Canada. Those that remained relied on farming and fishing for their incomes – in the 21st Century, responsible tourism plays a major role in the islands’ economy.
Heading up the west coast, you’ll come to miradouro at Rocha dos Bordoes, where you’ll see more prismatic disjunction and the first of Flores’ famous waterfalls – the Casacata da Ribeiro do Fundao.
Your next stop is the Miradouro do Portal – Flores’ most-famous viewpoint, with it’s magnificent view across Fajazinha and the stunning west coast.
Passing by the equally-lovely Miradouro Craveiro Lopes, you’ll end your tour at Poco da Ribeira do Ferreiro – a magical spot where the Lagoa dos Patos falls in multiple waterfalls, forming a secluded lagoon alive with endemic and native plant life.
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