Flores

Flores, Portugal

Basalt columns at Rocha dos Bordões on Flores glow amber in late afternoon light, with a walker on the path below.

Flores is a green, flower-covered island in the Azores, with crater lakes, waterfalls and sea cliffs, and a quiet pace that suits walkers.

The place

Flores is the Azorean island that earned its name from flowers. It belongs to the Western Group of the archipelago, alongside tiny Corvo, and about 3,400 people live here, mostly in small villages near the coast. Hydrangeas line the lanes in summer, which is why the writer Raul Brandão's nickname, the pink island, still sticks. Flores and Corvo sit on the North American plate, with the Mid-Atlantic Ridge running close by. The island is built in two parts. A central massif of old volcanic cones holds crater lakes in its hollows, while a coastal fringe of cliffs, raised shingle terraces and ledges drops to the Atlantic, with streams tumbling over the edge as waterfalls. The highest ground rises to 914 metres. Farming still sets the rhythm, with taro, grain and dairy cattle, and the houses and streets resemble those of northern Portugal, where many early settlers came from. Santa Cruz das Flores has the only airport, the ferry to Corvo and a small fishing port, while Lajes das Flores handles most commercial shipping. The weather is the honest catch. Cloud, rain and wind can close in within minutes, hide the views and disrupt flights and boats. In return the island is green, quiet and made for walking. Those after nightlife, long sandy beaches or big resorts will be disappointed; those who like waterfalls, crater lakes and empty trails will not.

Its story

Flores entered the European record in the mid-fifteenth century, when the navigator Diogo de Teive and his son João found it in late summer. Older accounts hint at earlier knowledge of two western islands, but no official discovery is credited before this. The pilot Pêro Velasco is said to have passed word of the island to Christopher Columbus. Diogo's reward was a sugar monopoly on Madeira, a reminder that islands were then valued as commercial assets. The island carried other names first: São Tomás, after Thomas Becket of Canterbury, and Santa Iria. Settlement was slow. The charter passed to Fernão Teles de Meneses, who achieved little beyond landing some sheep. After his death his widow, Dona Maria de Vilhena, managed the island on behalf of their young son Rui. She turned to Willem van der Haegen, a Flemish incomer who had reached the Azores earlier and spent time on Faial as a guest of its first captain, Josse van Huerter. He agreed terms with her and settled on Flores in the closing decades of the fifteenth century, which is why a Flemish thread runs through the early history of the Azores. Geology tells a much longer story. The island began as a submarine volcano, fell quiet for a very long stretch, then produced fresh craters and lava flows in the last few thousand years. The old whaling factory at Boqueirão, now a ruin near Santa Cruz das Flores, is a later chapter in the island's relationship with the sea.

What to see

Culture

Flores has a rural Azorean way of life shaped by farming, fishing and distance from the mainland. Early settlers came largely from northern Portugal, and the villages show it in their stone houses, narrow streets and small churches. Portuguese is the everyday language, and people tend to know their neighbours well. The sea is part of the culture too. Fishing still supplies the kitchens, and the ruined whaling factory at Boqueirão is a reminder of an older working relationship with the Atlantic. Hydrangea hedges mark field boundaries, and the flowers are tied up with local identity, to the point that the island is nicknamed after them. Food follows the same practical logic: pork, yams, greens, local cheese and creamy butter alongside fresh fish and shellfish. Life moves slowly, shops and cafés keep their own hours, and weather changes plans without anyone fussing. Visitors who accept that tend to be welcomed warmly. Some of the most memorable moments are small ones, such as a chat in a village café or a lift offered on a wet road. Because the island is so small, news travels fast and good manners count. Greet people with a friendly bom dia on village lanes, ask before photographing anyone or stepping into farmland, and close any field gate you open.

What to wear

Flores has no single island costume that the sources describe, so it is safest to say that traditional rural dress in the Azores was practical, made from wool and linen, with shawls, caps and sturdy shoes for farm and sea work. Today such clothes mostly appear when local folk groups perform at festivals. Everyday dress on the island now is simple and weatherproof: jeans, fleeces, waterproof jackets and wellington boots or trainers, with something smarter for church on Sundays and feast days. Farmers and fishermen wear work clothes as in rural Portugal generally. Visitors should dress for changeable Atlantic weather. Pack thin layers, a proper waterproof jacket and a warm top even in summer, because wind and cloud can make the coast feel cool. Footwear matters most. Walking boots or shoes with a good grip suit wet grass, muddy trails and slippery rock near waterfalls, and the cliff paths are steep. Bring swimwear for the springs and the summer bathing spots, and a hat and sunscreen for clear days. Nothing special is expected in villages, but shoulders and knees should be covered when stepping into a church, and beachwear is best kept for the shore.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. June–September for the most settled weather, longer days and open camping spots. Rain can fall in any season, and the Cascata do Poço do Bacalhau waterfall is strongest in the wetter months, so the trade-off is clear skies against fuller falls.

How long. 3–4

Getting there. Fly to Santa Cruz das Flores, the island's only airport, usually via Faial with SATA Air Azores; check the airline's official site for schedules. Ferry and small-boat links serve Corvo. On the island, rent a car or arrange a local transfer, as public transport is limited.

Budget. mid

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources