To start I’d just like to say how jealous I am that you are planning a trip to this incredible island. We stayed in Flores for 10 days and it wasn’t enough. I didn’t want to leave, but my poor planning meant I had to. I don’t want the same to happen to you so I’ve written the ultimate guide to Flores island Azores.
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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