For many, the ideal travel destination is as far from the crowds of Europe as possible – a holiday that feels like an escape from the rest of the world. Luckily, there is an island hundreds of miles from the European mainland that offers just that.
Flores is the westernmost island in the Azores archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean and one of Europe’s most remote outposts. It lies about 870 miles west of Lisbon, 930 miles from Morocco and 1,200 miles from Canada. It is renowned for its abundance of flowers, particularly hydrangeas during the summer, hence its Portuguese name of “Flores”.
According to Azores Choice, “Flores is arguably the most beautiful island of the Azores archipelago – a flourishing, verdant landscape of rolling hills and crater lakes, of magnificent waterfalls and monolithic seacliffs, and isolated whitewashed fishing villages dashed with Atlantic sea spray.”
It is the perfect destination for nature lovers, from birdwatchers to hikers, with its surrounding waters part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, regularly frequented by dolphins and various species of whale, including sperm, fin and humpbacks.
Flores (and her smaller neighbour Corvo) sit on the western side of the tectonic plate boundary between the North Atlantic plate and the Eurasian plate.
The island has deep valleys and high peaks, with Morro Alto being its highest point, reaching 914 metres. It is also home to several inactive volcanoes, including Calderia Funda and Calderia Comprida.
On several occasions, water collected in volcanic calderas, forming lakes. Today, there are seven lakes on the island, with the Águas Quentes boasting small hot springs of boiling sulfurous water.
Due to the largely rugged landscape, most settlements are found on the flatter coastal areas of the island. Santa Cruz das Flores is home to just over 2,000 inhabitants and is where the local airport, government services and schools are located.
Fajãzinha, in Lajes das Flores, is a typical Azorean village with ruins of watermills and is home to just 71 residents. Nearby are several waterfalls that flow into the Ribeira Grande.
Flores and the neighbouring Corvo Island, along with the surrounding waters, form the Corvo and Flores Important Bird Area (IBA), designated by BirdLife International due to its importance as a feeding and breeding site for many populations of birds, including Cory’s shearwater.
Flores has a humid subtropical climate, influenced mainly by the warm Gulf Stream and surrounding ocean. Summers are warm to hot, with the average temperature in August being over 25C during the day. Temperatures rarely exceed 30C or fall below 5C throughout the year, making it a fantastic year-round destination.
There are weekly direct flights from London Stansted to Ponta Delgada (PDL) on São Miguel in summer. From here, fly to Santa Cruz das Flores (FLW), which operate a couple of times a day.