Flores among crater lakes and waterfalls

On Flores, crater lakes sit alongside wooded high-altitude peat bogs, striking rock formations and waterfalls. Hiking trails, historic churches and local specialties also shape the island. When choosing your hotel, it helps to first consider whether nature, hiking or culture will be the focus of your stay.

Crater lakes, rock formations and waterfalls

The central plateau is home to explosion craters that have turned into lakes. The Sete Lagoas lie in the caldera of Flores: they include Lagoa Funda, Lagoa Branca, Lagoa Seca, Lagoa Comprida, Lagoa Rasa, Lagoa da Lomba and Lagoa Negra. The last of these is 100 metres deep.

Flores Natural Park contains the largest and best-preserved wooded peat bogs in the North Atlantic. In 2009, Flores was classified as a Biosphere Reserve under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme. The reserve covers the entire island area above sea level and an adjacent marine zone; together, these areas cover 58,619 hectares.

Another striking formation is Rocha dos Bordões, with its well-preserved prismatic lava columns around 20 metres high. It is a natural monument in Flores Natural Park and a geosite in the Azores Geopark. Miradouro da Rocha dos Bordões offers a privileged view of the rock formation.

Fajã de Lopo Vaz is also a geosite in the Azores Geopark. It is additionally located in a Special Protection Area for birds in the Natura 2000 network and in an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area. Ponta da Rocha Alta is also designated as a geosite in the Geopark.

There are almost twenty waterfalls in the coastal area of Fajã Grande and Fajãzinha. These include the Ribeira Grande waterfall, which drops around 300 metres. The lakes inland are thus set against a coastal landscape shaped by waterfalls.

Hiking routes with different highlights

Route PR03FLO starts on the Central Plateau, among lakes in volcanic maars, and ends at Poço do Bacalhau in Fajã Grande, a waterfall more than 100 metres high. It passes through the Morro Alto and Pico da Sé Nature Reserve and the protected landscape area of the central zone and western coastal cliffs. Lagoas Negra, Comprida, Seca and Branca, as well as Fajã Grande, are geosites in the Azores Geopark.

Route PR02FLO offers views of Rocha dos Bordões and passes through a landscape with a fossil cliff around 300 metres high and numerous waterfalls. These feed, among others, Poço do Bacalhau and Poço da Ribeira do Ferreiro, also known as Lagoa das Patas. This gives PR02FLO different scenic highlights from PR03FLO, which runs from the Central Plateau to Fajã Grande.

Route PR01FLO Ponta Delgada–Fajã Grande is listed as closed. Check its status again before planning your trip. For local orientation, Flores Airport is less than one kilometre from the centre of Santa Cruz.

Culture and island history

The Boqueirão Environmental Interpretation Centre is housed in former tanks used to store whale oil. It provides information about resident and migratory birds, organisms in the intertidal zone and water column, whales and other cetaceans, and hydrothermal vents. These topics connect the island’s wildlife with its marine environment.

The Flores Museum collection is spread across three buildings: the São Boaventura Franciscan convent, the Pimentel de Mesquita Museum House and the whaling factory. In Santa Cruz das Flores, the large Matriz de Santa Cruz das Flores also dominates the townscape, with its striking façade and bell towers. The church was built in the 19th century. The Nossa Senhora do Rosário Church, by contrast, was built between 1763 and 1783 on the site of an earlier Chapel of the Holy Spirit and has two integrated towers.

Dia do Fio, also known as Dia da Tosquia, was a community celebration on Flores. Men and women from all the parishes gathered at the livestock enclosures. The tradition reflects a shared island culture, also evident in the local production of food.

Handicrafts and specialties

Traditional Flores butter is churned by hand and made from the milk of native cows that graze freely on the island. Queijaria Pico Redondo in Fajãzinha makes traditional fresh and aged cheeses using artisanal methods. If you are considering a visit, check the arrangements in advance.

Another specialty is Bolo do Tijolo. The dough is made from cornflour, wheat flour, water and salt. It is shaped into several balls, flattened and baked over a fire on a clay roof tile. Served with butter and cheese, this preparation offers a tangible insight into Flores’ culinary traditions.

Discover more destinations: Santa Cruz Das Flores, Lajes Das Flores, Fajãzinha, San Jorge, Graciosa, Santa Maria, Pico, Faja De Baixo.

For the main travel overview: Azores.