If you’ve read my blog Visiting Azores: What You Need to Know you’ll have seen that my number #1 tip is book your accommodation and car in advance!

Flores is a very small island with approximately 4000 inhabitants. For most of the year, they don’t see any tourists and so they are not equipped for the tourism during the summer months.

Accommodation is rarely available, the campsites are full, there are no cars and even the restaurants are fully booked.

If you are looking for a car, you can check out Azores Car Rentals.

Where to Stay

If have the option to stay in Santa Cruz, I highly recommend doing so. There are a handful of restaurants in the area, the natural swimming pools are great for swimming in, and the boat to Corvo island also leaves from there.

If you are looking for somewhere to stay in Santa Cruz, Flores – give Pedro a call. He is one of the nicest people I have ever met and will be sure to look after you! His property is called Santa Cruz Villas and this is his phone number +351 965 292 921

If he doesn’t have any availability, he knows pretty much everyone in Santa Cruz so he’ll be able to ask around for you.

If you’re struggling to find accommodation, there are a few campsites around the area that have toilets and showers. The campsite at Alagoa is on the East side of the island, around a 1 hour walk from Santa Cruz. This is a beautiful spot, which overlooks the bay below and if you like waking up for the sunrise, you’re in for a treat.

Ultimate Guide to Flores Island Azores

Where to Eat

There are a number of good restaurants in Flores. I have chosen a few that are in different parts of the island to give you a varied selection. As it’s a small island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean there is a lot of available fresh fish. One of the best places to eat fish is a restaurant called O Moreao.

Papadiamandis, Faja Grande.

Local. Live music. Good vibes. Outdoor terrace seating.

Restaurante Por-do-sol, Lajes das Flores

Beautiful sunset spot near the ocean. Outdoor dining in the garden. The ribs are really tasty and this is also a good place to try the local yemen (similar to a sweet potato).

O Moreao, Santa Cruz

Fresh seafood. Fish restaurant. There is a wide variety of fish and the owner is extremely knowledge and fun! She started singing in the middle of the restaurant when we were there.

Restaurante Sereia, Santa Cruz

The best steak on the island. Honestly, I tried 3 different steaks and this one was by far the best! The french fries are also homemade and are delicious.

Ultimate Guide to Flores Island Azores

Best places to See in Flores

Flores island has to be one of the most beautiful islands I’ve ever visited – you are in for an absolute treat!

My favourite place on the island, which I’m sure you’ve already seen a picture of is…

#1 Poco Da Ribeira do Ferreiro

This place is actually the reason why I came to the Azores islands! I saw a picture of this wall of waterfalls, with the lake below creating the most perfect reflections and knew I had to come.

I tell you something, it’s even more spectacular in real life!

It is a 15 minute walk from the carpark to get to this spot. Make sure you wear trainers as the way there is slippy!

#2 Cascata do Poco do Bacalhau

Apparently in winter this waterfall is inaccessible as the amount of rain water increases making it too powerful to swim in.

However, during the summer months, it’s a beautiful natural swimming hole!

As you walk up towards the waterfall you will see a shimmering rainbow and will be completely memerized by its beauty.

The water temperature is great, but be careful getting in as it can be a bit slippy. If you have water shoes, they’d come in handy.

#3 Miradouro de Craveiro Lopes

This was hands down my favourite viewpoint on the island. As I walked towards the edge I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with emotions. I was truly gobsmacked at the views beneath me.

The best part is that this viewpoint is on the west of the island, so you can watch the sunset from here. If you catch yourself a good one, you’ll see the cliffs light up during the golden hour and it’s truly magical.

I cannot recommend this place enough.

#4 Miradouro da Baia de Alem

Another great place to enjoy golden hour and the sunset is at Miradouro da Baia de Alem.

The colour of the water here is incredible, pair that with the green cliffs and the sun going down and you have yourself a great spot!

There is also a lighthouse nearby that you can check out.

Someone told me that if you go on Wednesday’s the lighthouse keeper will show you around!

I’m not sure how true that is, but if you happen to go on a Wednesday, it may be worth knocking on the door and finding out 😛 (let me know if you do so others can go too!)

#5 Day trip to Corvo island

Corvo is the smallest island in the Azores with only 400 inhabitants. You may have seen a photo of the crater, which is what the island is famous for. However, the downside is that the crater tends to be covered in thick fog for a lot of the time.

From Flores you can actually see the cloud covering the top of the island, and it doesn’t seem to move.

If you get lucky, you’re in for an absolute treat.

We unfortunately didn’t see ANYTHING. It was cold and wet once we arrived at the crater. One thing though, the boat ride there made up for it!

We booked a ticket with Carlos Mendez from Extremocidente boat trips. It was spectacular! I was so happy by the time that we arrived on Corvo that I wasn’t even fussed that it was cloudy.

Carlos takes you around the bottom of the cliffs and through the caves on the North West of Flores.

You see lots of waterfalls falling into the sea which is a unique experience! This part of the island is said to be the most beautiful by all of the locals.

Plus, I’ve been on a lot of boats in my time and this one is SO STURDY. You sit on the seat in a similar way that you would to a horse and so you fly over the waves and it’s incredibly fun but feels so secure.

The boat trip costs 35e return. The way there takes 1 hour and the way home approximately 40 minutes. If however, you get lucky like we did, you’ll stop to see the whales and dolphins!

One thing I LOVED about this trip was that Carlos and his crew really cared about us having the best time. On the way home they spotted water shooting through a whales’ blowhole in the distance and made a 10 minute detour out to sea.

We spent around 20 minutes admiring the whales and then made our way back to the harbour. This added on time to our trip, but they didn’t care.

#6 Alagoa

One of my favourite places to see in Flores was Alagoa.

Here you will find a pebble stoned beach, crystal clear water and a small waterfall that meets the ocean.

There are 3 rocks (standing rock, sitting rock & laying rock 😂) & they are very popular among the birds.

In fact, this area is deemed a bird sanctuary and so is protected 🥰

P.S. If you are struggling to find a place to stay on the island, Alagoa has a campsite! Can you imagine waking up to this view every morning? 

#7 Santa Cruz Natural Swimming Pools

The natural swimming pools in Santa Cruz are the perfect spot to spend the afternoon. There is concrete down there which makes it more comfortable to sit at, however I don’t love that they’ve done that. Anyway, it’s a great place for swim and the locals love it too.

The colour of the water is crazy and there are lots of fish to see.

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If you have seen my blog post Visiting the Azores: what you need to know post you’ll know that accommodation and cars are sparse in the Azores. You really do need to try book in advance, and I mean, months! We had so much trouble finding places to stay and ended up on a number of waiting lists for cars. It was chaos.

Book in advance! If you are looking for a car hire company, Azores Rental Cars are worth checking out.

#1 Miradouro Da Boca do Inferno

This was one of my favourite view points on the islands. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a volcanic crater, covered in greenery and filled with water before but I hadn’t and WOW!

Behind the crater you can see a glimpse of one side of Sete Cidades lake.

The road that you can see circling the crater is actually used in a popular car race on the island.

How to get to Miradouro da Boca do Inferno

To get to Mirador da Boca do Inferno, type in ‘Lagoa do Canario’ into Google maps and leave your car at that location. This area is usually very busy so you may have to park on the road.

Opposite the car park, you’ll see a closed gate to stop cars driving down the road. Walk past the gate, keep straight for 100m then turn left. Keep following this path until you reach the crater – you can’t miss it. The walk takes approximately 15 minutes.

#2 Lagoa do Fogo

Another one of the best places to visit in São Miguel in Lagoa do Fogo. The downside is that this lake is mostly in the fog(o). Sorry, that was a joke among our group lol!

Seriously though, the lake is usually covered by a layer of thick fog and a lot of the time you can’t see anything. I checked the webcam for 3 days straight and I genuinely thought someone had turned the camera off 😛

You have to get lucky with this one, but if you do, it’s absolutely worth the trip!

You can see the lake from the top, and also make your way down to the bottom for a swim. The trek down takes around 20 minutes and the water temperature is perfect!

On the way back up you’ll need around 35 minutes as it’s pretty steep and hard on the legs!

#3 Salto Do Cabrito

This has to be one of coolest waterfalls I’ve ever been to. It’s definitely not the biggest, or the most powerful but the colours of the rocks surrounding the fall make this place pretty unique. Not only that, but it’s the warmest waterfall I’ve swam in!

It turns out that there are a number of hot springs in the area and I believe the water ends up here at this natural swimming hole.

Best places to visit in São Miguel

#4 Hot Waterfall of Ribeira

This is a hidden gem in São Miguel 😍 You wouldn’t know this place exists unless you do the research.

It’s in the most random place I think I’ve ever found a waterfall. You have to park on the side of the road, and walk through a tunnel to find this spot.

Make sure you walk on the side of the road heading towards the traffic and use your phone torch so that the cars can see you.

The orange colour at the bottom of the fall is caused by iron.

#5 Sete Cidades Lake

Sete Cidades is a twin lake situated inside the crater of a dormant volcano, one is a green lake and the other is blue.

The crazy thing is that the water can pass through the bridge from one side to the other so I found it strange how the colours are still completely different. After doing some research I found that it’s simply the way that the lights reflect off each of them.

The legend states that the lakes were formed from the tears of a green eyed princess’ and a blue eyed shepherd who shared a forbidden love.

There are various hikes that you can do around this lake. Park at the bottom and off you go 🙂

#6 Natural Thermal Baths

There are a number of thermal baths on São Miguel. Some are more natural than others in the sense that they haven’t had as many man-made alternations done to them. We went to Poca da Dona Beija and it was a cool place, however I believe there are better ones available.

I personally wanted to visit these baths: Centro de Interpretação Ambiental da Caldeira Velha

but we were meeting friends and so we went to Poca da Dona Beija ones instead. It cost €6 entry fee which gives you 1.5 hours in the pools. There are various pools to choose from that differ in water temperature. The coldest one is 28 degrees and the hottest is 35.

The thermal baths are rich in iron and so make sure you wear something that you don’t mind getting ruined. I recommend tying up your hair and rinsing your swimsuit post swim to get rid of any orange colour.

TIP! Definitely do not wear WHITE!

#7 Ponta da Ferraria

This is arguably one of the most unique experiences I’ve had. It’s a natural hot spring IN THE OCEAN.

This specific area has hot water in it, and at low tide is around 35 degrees. As the water start to rise and the cold ocean water begins to enter the pool, the temperature begins to lower. If you want to enjoy this natural phenomenon in its element, make sure you go at low tide.

You can find the tide times here.

#8 Parque Terra Nostra

This place is a little touristy, however it’s worth a visit. It’s a huge botanical garden in the centre of Furnas with numerous thermal baths scattered around. This place is extremely well kept.

There is a large selection of plants and flowers, water fountains, trees and baths.

It’s a beautiful place to spend an afternoon, soaking up the hot water and wandering through the peaceful gardens. It’s also a great place to get some good photos!

The thermal baths don’t have the most appealing colour, but you should definitely go for a dip.

The entrance fee to this park is €8 and you can stay as long as you like.

One location that has to be included in this list of the best places to visit in São Miguel is Ilha do Vila Franca.

#9 Ilha do Vila Franca

This tiny island off the coast of Sao Miguel called Ilha do Vila Franca is worth an afternoon trip. The boat costs €8 return and takes a short 10 minutes.

The boat leaves to the island on the hour and returns at 10 past the hour.

The first boat is at 10am and the last boat back is at 6pm.

Once you arrive, you can choose how long to stay. The only thing you can do here is swim, but it’s definitely a cool place to do so!

At low tide, you can sit on the beach that you can see here in this photo. At high tide, it disappears!

There is a very colourful marine life inside this island, so if you have a pair of goggles or a mask, definitely take it with you.

#10 Cha Gorreana Tea Plantation

Chá Gorreana tea plantation; formed in 1883 and is currently the only functioning tea plantation in Europe.

The venue opens from 8.00-18.00 and here you can see the machinery used to process the tea and also try some free samples. You can walk around the grounds after hours which is great if you want to take some photos at sunset with the golden light.

The tea plantation is on the north side of the island, close to many other attractions & cool viewpoints so you can make a day trip out of it. 

Best places to visit in São Miguel

#11 Caldeira Das Furnas

This place is one of the main things to see on São Miguel island. As you drive past it you’ll see tons of steam coming from the ground. This is an area with volcanic activity and fumaroles that spout boiling water and medicinal mud.

The most prominent thing about these springs is the smell due to the high level of sulpher in the water. It smells like rotten eggs.

#12 Ponta Delgada + Furnas Town

Ponta Delgada is the capital of São Miguel and has many small streets to explore, a large market on a morning and on the weekends and a handful of cool cafes and bars to try.

It takes about 40 minutes to drive to Furnas from the capital city, Ponta Delgada. The best way to visit Furnas is with a rental car.

The town of Furnas is extremely cute and has a very nice vibe. It is a nature-lovers paradise and has several natural parks that are rich with biodiversity. You should spend some time here wandering through the streets, the gardens and also grab a bite to eat at one of the quaint cafes.

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The post 12 Best Places to Visit in São Miguel, Azores appeared first on Green Eyed Traveller.

Here you can find individual blog posts on both São Miguel Island, and Flores Islands – my two favourites!

#1 Book your accommodation in advance (and I mean months…)

I am one of the most spontaneous travellers out there, booking things the day before, and even the morning of. However, on this trip, my spontaneity really bit me in the bum and caused a lot of chaos.

There is a very limited amount of accommodation available in The Azores. I spoke to many locals who said that it will probably never improve. For 8 months of the year, nobody goes to visit the islands. There is heavy rain, seriously strong winds, and most people don’t leave their houses during this time. Therefore, there is no need for extra tourist infrastructure to be built.

If you are able to plan ahead before visiting The Azores, I HIGHLY recommend it. I honestly spent hours and hours of my time trying to find places to stay. We couldn’t even go to 2 of the islands like we had originally planned because there was no where for us to go. I mean it, no where.

We got lucky when looking for somewhere to stay in Flores, simply because the hotel we called knew a person, who didn’t have their property listed online.

#1B If you’ve left it too late and can’t book ahead…

So, if you’re like me and love to travel freestyle (it’s the best, let’s be honest!) you may have already left things a little late.

If you have, here’s my advice:

1. Call EVERYONE.
   
   Any contact number you can find online, call it. Everyone knows someone and this really is the case on these islands. A lot of locals can’t afford the Booking.com and AirBnB fees and so they choose to operate on word of mouth.
   
   I made friends with one of the owners of an apartment in Flores and I explained how crazy they were to not put them online. It turns out though, they know everyone and so they still manage to be fully booked throughout the summer.
   
   If you are visiting The Azores and are looking for somewhere to stay in Santa Cruz, Flores – give Pedro a call. He is one of the nicest people I have ever met and will be sure to look after you! His property is called Santa Cruz Villas and this is his phone number +351 965 292 921
   
   P.S. Tell him I said hi!! 🙂

2. Be brave, take the risk and go anyway.

So, our back up plan for Flores was going to be buying a tent from Decathlon and camping wherever we could find. If you have seen pictures of this island you’ll understand our desperation to visit it. As long as you have a tent, you’ll be fine.

Once you arrive you can also talk to the locals down at the port, in a restaurant, etc and you never know, you might get lucky and find a house to stay in.

Visiting The Azores

#2 Book a Car in Advance

If you have a driving licence, you’re going to want to hire a car. There are many things to see on the islands and most of them are spread out in different locations.

If you have the option to book a car in advance (and we’re talking months…) DO IT! Holy moly I can’t even tell you the sh*t we pulled to get a car. Let’s just say it involved some shady stuff.

In all seriousness, there are barely any cars on the island and the numbers have reduced significantly since COVID hit. It’s the same reason why there is hardly any accommodation, there is no-one to use the cars for 8 months of the year!

During COVID 75% of the cars were shipped back to Portugal’s mainland and so now it’s practically impossible to find something.

You can check this company for available hire cars: Azores Rental Cars

#2b If you’ve left things too late.. here’s a few options

Again, talk to people. Call people, talk to locals, heck, talk to everyone you bump into. Somebody will know someone.

Another option is to add your name to a waiting list at the car rental shops.

We did this the day we arrived to Flores and 2 days in to our holiday they called us to tell us that someone had cancelled their car and that we could have it for 4 days. You can’t begin to imagine the smiles on our faces!

If you really can’t find anything, there are buses available and also organised tours. Obviously that is less convenient and may take away your freedom a little, but it’s still possible to see things without a car.

#3 The Inter-island Ferry Routes have changed

Unfortunately due to COVID (shocker) the yellow line ferry route that connected all of the islands has been removed. This line was seriously handy for travellers visiting The Azores because it meant cheap travel to all the islands.

Now, the only ferry routes available connect the middle islands (Terceira, Graciosa, Sao Jorge, Pico and Faial).

If you want to visit Sao Miguel, Santa Maria and Flores, you will need to fly. This is a lot more expensive than the cheap ferry tickets.

Sao Miguel and Flores are both definitely worth a visit so you should bite the bullet and book the plane tickets.

#4 You can only fly to Portugal mainland directly from Sao Miguel and Terceira Islands

When planning your route, think about the fact that you can only get back to the mainland on a direct flight from either Sao Miguel or Terceira. The other islands have flights available but you will need to make a stopover.

We ended our trip in Flores, which, I’m grateful for in a way because it was definitely the most beautiful island out of them all! However, we then had to wait 5 hours in Sao Miguel airport on the way back to Lisbon.

If I were to give you some advice re the route to take…

I’d say fly into Terceira. From here, take advantage of the ferry routes and visit any of the smaller islands that you have your eye on. I’ve heard that Sao Jorge and Pico are worth a visit.

From the smaller islands, you can take a flight to Flores.

From Flores you can fly down to Sao Miguel and then fly back to the mainland from there.

If you want to make a pit-stop in Santa Maria, you will need to fly from Sao Miguel as the ferry has also been removed.

#5 The weather is very unpredictable

Have you ever been to Melbourne in Australia and you look out of your window and it’s a beautiful sunny day, so you put on your shorts. You step outside and a few moments later there’s torrential rain…

Well, Melbourne is worse than The Azores, however, be prepared for the weather to change in a heartbeat.

The mobile weather apps are pretty useless but a local guy told me to download this app which worked way better. It’s based on clouds and wind so it’s more accurate. You can download it from the app store – it’s called WindGuru.

Anyway, my advice is to pack for all weather conditions. We’re not talking extreme winter sports here, but take a jacket and long trousers with you, and definitely take a rain coat!

That being said, you’ll also need sun cream, a hat and your sunglasses ;)!

TIP! There are live webcams in most tourist spots in the Azores so you can check them before you head to a location!

This is awesome as you can tell if a spot is worth visiting or not depending on the weather. Simply type in ‘live webcam [location]’ into Google!

#6 Visiting The Azores: You should always have some cash on you

Unlike Portugal’s mainland (mostly the Algarve) The Azores do actually accept card in a lot of places. However, there were a few times when the ‘card machine was broken’ and we had to pay cash.

There are ATM’s on the island but I always prefer to get it out beforehand just in case the machine were to eat my card and then I didn’t have any way of getting money.

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If you find this blog post helpful or use any of the tips, I’d love to know! Leave me a comment below or send me a message on Instagram 🙂

I’ll be writing a ton of blogs re visiting The Azores in the next few weeks. For now, check out my Canary Island blogs for some inspo on another AMAZING group of islands.

The post Visiting The Azores: What You Need to Know appeared first on Green Eyed Traveller.