The Azores islands naturally fall into three groups spread across 370 miles of ocean, almost 900 miles from Lisbon. Flores and Corvo form one group to the west. São Miguel and Santa Maria are the eastern-most islands, with the super-remote Formigas islets way beyond. Graciosa, Terceira, São Jorge, Pico and Faial fall into the middle group. We’re covering the three separately, and this time we’re exploring the wonders and secrets of Flores and Corvo.
The magic of Flores – A natural paradise
Any second now, a Tyrannosaurus Rex is going to crash out of the dense greenery at Poço Ribeira do Ferreiro. You wouldn’t really be surprised if a Pterodactyl swooped down from the sharp, vertical, vegetation-smothered mountains above, or something Nessie-like poked its sleek head out of the mirror-still lake below. This is Flores, one of the most remote islands in the Azores archipelago, home to fewer than 3500 people and a precious jewel in nature’s crown. No busy beaches. No bustle. Just fertile green land, craggy peaks, lovely lakes, deep seas, and plenty of perfect peace.
On the island’s east coast there’s the capital, Santa Cruz das Flores, built next to the sea on a green plateau next to a small airport. It’s a pretty little place, home to fewer than 1300 people. A number of smaller villages also sit around the island’s rim, on its flat fringes, with just a few hamlets and farms in the mountainous interior. Hire a car to discover the parishes of Caveira, home to about 75 people, Cedros with its unique micro-climate, Ponta Delgada to the north, and Lajes das Flores to the south where the most spectacular landscapes of all are. Each place has its own character.
Eye-popping places to see on Flores Tours
Get more than your fair share of awe taking in the views of two deliciously scenic lakes, each set in what was once the mouth of a violent volcano, a ‘caldera’. Called Lagoa Negra and Lagoa Comprida, you can see them both at once from the official scenic point of Miradouro Lagoa Negra e Lagoa Comprida. The land up there is boggy and ferny, and the views are remarkable.
The same goes for the viewpoint at Miradouro Caldeira Rasa e Funda, with its own fabulous vistas overlooking the caldera Lagoa Rasa and Caldeira Funda. The dizzying outlooks from Miradouro Craveiro Lopes and Miradouro do Vale da Fazenda are equally instagrammable, almost unreal in their loveliness. As you may have guessed by now, a ‘miradouro’ is a viewpoint and the island is stuffed full of them, including a string of photo opportunities, one after another, set along the ER1-2 road from the tiny hamlet of Morsteiro.
Stop off to marvel at the Rocha dos Bordões rock formation, where superheated lava forced its way through much older rock to form a dramatic band of vertical columns a lot like the Giant’s Causeway. Or take a dip in a natural swimming pool called a piscinas naturais, the island’s alternative to beaches and an excellent way to chill out. If you can stand the horror there’s a whaling museum to explore inside the old whaling station. The other museum on Flores is less traumatising, the Museu das Flores in the capital with its local history and brilliant exhibits about piracy. Everyone loves a privateer!
Flores, Corvo and the surrounding waters form the Corvo and Flores Important Bird Area, designated by BirdLife International. Both islands are great for bird watching with three types of shearwater, lovely terns and even storm petrels.
Flores island food
Because there’s such a lot of fast-flowing water here, there are lots of lovely old water mills. One of them offers tours of its ingenious home-made damming and grain grinding systems. The land is very fertile thanks to the mineral-rich volcanic rock and rich mulch from the rich vegetation. They grow food here, and keep livestock, and the island produces its own cheese. Buy some on a visit to the dairy or pick some up at a shop.
You can sample tasty local foodie treats at a variety of good restaurants, where you’ll find all sorts of traditional Azorean and island dishes. Think Papa Grossa, Sopa de Agrião, Cozido de Porco, Molhos de Dobrada, Inhames com Linguiça and Feijões com Cabeça de Porco, Caldeirada de Congro, Bonito Assado no Forno, and Pasteis de Ervas Marinhas. In English that’s porridge, watercress soup, pork stew, offal sauces, yams with sausage, beans and meat from a pig’s head, conger eel stew, oven-roasted bonito fish, and seagrass pastries. Atlantic lobster is a big deal on the island too, as is crab meat and shellfish like limpets and barnacles.
Cool things to discover on Corvo island
Flores’ little brother Corvo is the archipelago’s smallest island, inhabited by fewer than 400 people. The ‘island of the crow’ is properly remote, a fifteen mile ferry, private boat or light aircraft flight from Flores with the great Caldeirão volcano at its craggy heart, the main attraction for visitors and an astonishing sight.
Grab a cab up to the Miradouro Caldeirão viewpoint on the rim of the crater if you like, or take a couple of hours to do the journey on foot. The higher you climb, the more breathtaking the views of the landscapes below you and jewel-like Flores in the distance.
The vast crater’s floor is an other-worldly landscape, like something from a science fiction movie set on a different planet. Small fertile fields are marked out by stone walls. You might see cattle that look a lot like Highland cows with long red coats, and others like classic black and white Friesians, and the glittering lakes in the caldera’s centre, far below, are dotted with grassy green islands.
This timeless place is perfect to stop, smell the coffee, and reflect on the violent geology of the past. It’s enough to make you feel truly insignificant. As scientists have found, that weirdly powerful sense of smallness makes us feel awe-struck, and awe is really good for our wellbeing. Result!
Back down near sea level, in the tiny town of Vila do Corvo, there are narrow streets to wander between the white walled, red-roofed buildings… and that’s about it. Once the visitors leave, the island falls silent again.
Take a tour of Flores for inspiring experiences and unforgettable sights
Experience sea cave tours, hiking tours, boat tours and van tours, and fall in love with the thrills of canyoning. Here are some popular Flores tours to dive into.
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