Visiting Ilha das Flores in the off-season

It baffles me that people don’t visit Flores in the winter. In fact, all of the places in the Açores that are mobbed with tourists in the summer are empty in the winter. This, despite the fact that the temperatures are in the low 50s to mid 60s (10 to 19 celsius). It’s a lovely temperature for hiking. I’m out hiking in a tshirt in the afternoon sun and cozy in a sweater at night. I only bundle up to sit outside and watch the stars at night.

Watching the storms roll in down the valley, experiencing the dramatic weather shifts, and being literally blown over by the wind is part of the awe inducing experience of the Azores. On one hike I was soaked in a downpour, blown dry by the wind, and warmed up by the sun in less than an hour.

I jumped at the chance to spend a month house sitting on Flores last winter. I had a wonderful time, so I was thrilled when I got the chance to return for two months this winter. Since I’m working remotely, the rainy days are a good opportunity to get plenty of work done. It also works well for me, since one of my research topics for my job is people’s lived experience of rural healthcare.

Flores is a place to relax and go with the flow. The only thing to do on the island is hike. Even in the summer, there’s a good chance that if you try to have a quick visit you’ll miss some of the main sights or not arrive on the island at all. Give yourself at least a week to ensure you have some clear days to view the caldeiras, favorable wind conditions for boating and hiking all the trails you’d like to see. The wind is so strong that sometimes there are no waterfalls to see, because the wind blows the water up like a giant chimney. Accept that the weather will determine your time on Flores and you’ll have a good visit.

Should you visit Flores?

You should not go to Flores if:

• you’re on an island hopping adventure
• you don’t like hiking
• you will be upset if it rains every day
• you’re a picky eater or following a strict diet
• you might have any sort of medical emergency

 

Don’t assume your flight will arrive on schedule

Flores is not somewhere you want to go for a long weekend. It might take you a long weekend just to arrive and another long weekend to get off the island.

Flights to Flores get delayed or cancelled very often. It’s a tiny airport with a tiny runway on an island with intense weather. Luckily, only SATA flies to Flores. Their pilots fly the same routes, with the same tricky runways and intense weather. You might puke, but you’ll land safely.

That is, if and when you take off at all. They’ll have you hang out at the gate for a few hours if they think there might be a break in the weather that’ll allow for a safe landing. If there’s no hope for a flight that day, they’ll cancel your flight.

When a flight is cancelled, they’ll have you collect your luggage and go to the check-in desk to get sorted out. They’ll give you your boarding pass for whatever flight you’ve been rebooked on and a stack of vouchers: the hotel (with breakfast included), lunch, dinner, and transit to and from the airport. Generally, all meals will be provided by the hotel. This means a buffet, which varies from hotel to hotel, but is always edible.

The next day you’ll be back at the airport and might get to do the whole thing of waiting and then getting your vouchers. A fellow passenger said he once did this for nine days before he made it to Flores.

A fun part of this is that if you’re on a flight with a stop in Horta on the way to Flores, you might not be allowed to stay in Horta if they cancel the final leg. They’ll fly you back to the departure airport (probably Ponta Delgada).

Bring a book. Bring snacks. Bring an external battery for your phone. Be prepared to chat with the other folks at the airport, get some work done, and relax.

There are cheap flights to São Miguel. They will be less cheap if you assume you can leave Flores on schedule and don’t give yourself a few days on São Miguel to ensure you actually get there on time. I’ve spent two nights in a hotel courtesy of SATA for two of my four flights.

Getting around Flores

If you haven’t reserved a rental car, it’s wise to take advantage of your time at the airport to befriend whatever other tourists are on your flight. The supply of rental cars is limited, so it may be impossible to reserve one even in the winter. Since nature is the main attraction on Flores, chances are that every tourist on your flight is planning on seeing the same things as you.

The roads on the island are windy, but they’re very well maintained. Driving around is beautiful. It’s easy to spot other tourists, since chances are they’re driving a Fiat Panda and it’s either white or electric blue. There are four gas stations on the island: two in Santa Cruz, two in Lajes. Be on the lookout for livestock in the road.

If all the rental cars are booked and you don’t make any friends at the airport, your best bet is to book a tour guide.

There is bus service on the island. It primarily serves children getting to school and doesn’t run on weekends, but it’s open for everyone and serves the whole island. It’s entirely possible to hike around the island by taking the bus close to a trail head and walking back. This just requires a little extra planning, since the schedule is so limited.

There are supposedly seven cab drivers that serve Flores. The airport has a current list of their names and phone numbers posted, so snap a photo of this when you land. I imagine this makes getting a taxi very difficult in the summer. All of the taxis are based in Santa Cruz, so if you’re staying in Fajãzinha it’s going to be expensive to go anywhere. Drivers are generally helpful and happy to schedule a ride in advance. Most areas of the island have reliable cell service, so you should be able to call or text as long as you’re not in an isolated valley.

Hitchhiking is also an option. There are only a few major roads on the island, so it’s quite easy to catch a ride towards Santa Cruz, Fajã Grand, Lajes, or Ponta Delgada.

Walking is an option, too. The first time I visited Flores I didn’t rent a car for any portion of my time and it was fine. On my second trip, I rented a car for one week of my nine week visit. There are many unofficial hiking trails. Even walking along the roads is scenic and felt quite safe.

Bring essential ingredients

Food and other supplies are brought to Flores by boat. If the weather is bad, the boat doesn’t dock and the shelves aren’t restocked. The grocery stores on the island will all have basic non-perishables. Anything beyond that is more hit or miss. They will have rice, sure, but often they’re out of basmati rice.

Their selection of produce is limited and it’s not unheard of for the shelves to be entirely bare. Sometimes the produce that arrives is…less than inspiring. It’s wise to stock up on groceries on a larger island. Any specialty items and produce that isn’t currently being harvested on Flores is unlikely to be available. If you follow a special diet, you want to plan carefully to make sure you’ll be able to eat.

The Helios in Lajes has the best selection, even if the Floratlântico in Santa Cruz is bigger. The shops sometimes have long lines on days when the supply boat arrives.

The situation at the grocery stores on Flores is one of the reasons it’s such a good place to do a farm stay. People who live on the island do not rely on the grocery store. They have their own gardens, which still have fresh produce in the winter. They have their own chickens. They might even have their own cows, goats, sheep, pigs, and ducks. They know how to fish.

If you’re staying in an AirBnB, it’s going to be tricky to find cafes open and even harder to find fresh groceries. Regardless, there is plenty of food on the island. The selection is simply limited and, if the supply boat hasn’t been able to dock for two or three weeks in a row, you will have to rely on non-perishable items and frozen foods.

Don’t assume you can get things unless you’re in Santa Cruz or Lajes. Even after spending two years in various tiny villages in Portugal, I was surprised at just how small the selection was in the other shops on the island. I’m used to grocery stores that are the size of a bedroom. Usually their shelves are bursting with things. That’s not the case here.

There’s a surprisingly small number of cafes, given the island’s emphasis on tourism. They may be closed unexpectedly or open but not serving hot meals. It’s wise to pack snacks.

Be prepared for the weather

Of course you want to wear layers and bring a good rain jacket. During the winter it rains every day. Like in the PNW of the US or on Vancouver Island, most of the time the rain isn’t the sort that requires you to call off a hike. This is good, because there are really no indoor activities on Flores and even most restaurants are closed during the off-season.

The walking paths are often wet, especially during winter. Many trails are shared with cows, making them incredibly muddy. As I carefully picked my way across, trying to stay dry, I used to have a pair of barefoot shoes that were basically water shoes, which I did not replace because they’re so dorky looking. I desperately regretted not having a pair while I hiked in soggy shoes one day and each time I stopped to take my shoes off another day. You’ll get soaked while walking in the peat bogs, no matter how good you are at finding something solid to step on. A trekking pole would have also been a nice thing to have as I navigated so many slippery spots.

The wind on Flores is no joke. Pay attention to the direction and speed of the wind when choosing your hiking trails. If the wind is strong, plan on hiking in a valley or somewhere that’s sheltered. IPMA has the most reliable weather forecasts. Another good app to have is WindGuru. Quite a few tourists suggest the SpotAzores app, so you can see if the caldeiras are foggy before driving up. The weather changes so quickly, I’m not sure how useful it would be.

The Santa Cruz side of the island is generally more sheltered from the wind. The weather changes frequently, so even on stormy days, you’ll likely also get to enjoy some beautiful blue skies and warm sun. Lots of rain showers means lots of rainbows.

One nice thing about Flores (and Portugal in general) is that you don’t need to worry about carrying lots of water. There are taps all around the island, as well as quite a few public toilets. The public toilets are generally clean and stocked with TP. Maps.me is a free app that shows their locations, so you can decide how much water you need to bring.

I don’t know if it’s officially true that the creek water on Flores is safe to drink. I drank water out of the creeks around Flores and was just fine. Quite a few homes on the island rely on untreated water directly from a spring or creek.

While there is plenty of water anywhere on Flores, food is another matter. Don’t assume every village will have a cafe or that it will be open when you arrive.

Both Flores and Corvo are biosphere reserves recognized by UNESCO. Their trail networks are well maintained. Even unofficial trails are generally well maintained, since locals rely on them to get where they need to go. Walking along roads, including main roads, is safe.

Don’t assume you can go to Corvo

There is a ferry between Corvo and Flores, as well as several companies that do boat tours between the two islands. Even in the off-season, it’s scheduled to go between the Santa Cruz port and Vila do Corvo twice a week.

‘Scheduled’ is the key word here. Trips are commonly cancelled because of the weather. Because the boat only holds 12 passengers and it rarely actually runs twice a week, the boat sells out even in winter.

If you buy your ticket online, they ask for your phone number. If the trip is cancelled or delayed, they’ll send you an SMS. This is very helpful, since there is no ticket office (or even sign) at the port in Santa Cruz.

You can also fly to Corvo on SATA. There are flights to and from Flores, Faial, and São Miguel.

Not being a good sailor, I took dimenidrinato before I got on the boat. After seeing a woman vomit on the two people sitting in front of her on the way there, despite a calm passage, I passed my dimenidrinato around to the other passengers while we were waiting to board for the return trip.

Assuming the ferry is running, visiting Corvo is an easy and lovely experience. The guys on the ferry know the guys with vans, so there is no need to worry about booking a taxi to get from the port to the caldeirão. They charge 10 euro a person to run you up to the caldeirão, which includes the return trip.

Fernando from Corvo Tours was waiting for our boat when we arrived. He chatted with us in English and Portuguese as we rode up. We told him we’d walk down, so there was no need for him to wait for us while we hiked around the caldeirão. He knows the weather better than our weather forecasting apps, though, so he disregarded our insistence that we’d be hiking into town. Just as we were making our way out of the caldeirão, the clouds rolled in and we were all soaked to the skin by the time we got back to the miradouro. We were grateful he was there waiting for us. He drove us back into town to dry off and warm up in a cafe.

The village of Corvo has one of everything and is quite compact, so it’s easy to find whatever you need if you’re there for the day. There’s time to drive up to the caldeira, hike the loop in the caldeira, walk into town, and have a meal before you get back on the ferry to Flores. Just consider your susceptibility to sea sickness when choosing your meal.

My favorite spots on Flores

Cascata da Ribeira Grande

Everyone who goes to Flores goes to Poço da Ribeira do Ferreiro. This is the postcard view. When people found out I spent a month on Flores and didn’t go, they were truly horrified. Now that I’ve been, I can confirm is really is a gorgeous walk. The trail is a charming stone road to a nicely done picnic area on the lake. I understand why this is the island’s top attraction.

I have to say that I actually prefer Cascata da Ribeira Grande. You can park at the same lot as for Ribeira do Ferreiro or at the Moinho de Água da Ribeira da Alagoa (which is worth popping in for a look). The trail isn’t marked, but it’s easy to find your way to the waterfall regardless.

Fajã de Lopo Vaz

The Miradouro da Fajã de Lopo Vaz has the worst public bathrooms on the island and is one spot I wouldn’t drink the tap water. The trail to Fajã de Lopo Vaz is very well maintained, making it as easy as possible to go from the top of the cliff down to the beach. This, of course, involves a lot of stairs.

The trail unofficially continues to a second beach. You can then walk back along the beach before rejoining the official trail for the steep walk back up.

Going from Ponta Delgada to Fajã Grande

You can hike from Ponta Delgada to Fajã Grande or drive. Since a good chunk of the walk is along a road, I’d suggest you drive until the trail splits off from Caminho das Lombas. You can park across from the water basin. You can then hike the 7km or so until you can see Fajã Grande in the distance and turn around before the steep descent into town (saving yourself the steep ascent back to your car).

It’s also lovely to simply continue on Caminho das Lombas until it becomes Estrada do Morro Alto, a well maintained gravel road. You’ll get a fantastic view of Caldeira Branca and Caldeira Negra. There are also several short trails off this road. If it’s windy, you can see Cascata da Ribeira Grande as a great plume of water rising up into the sky.

Random Flores facts

A fajã is flat area located by the sea, caused by either landslides of the nearby cliffs or by lava flows, with rich soil for farming.

There are quite a few places in the island with a tropical microclimate. These are ideal for growing figs, araças, gooseberries, bananas, and citrus. Other major crops on the island include taro and potatoes.

Flores is famous for its hydrangeas. While I’ve been told the best time to see them is in June, the hydrangeas were still blue at the end of November. There are no hydrangeas in January, but there are still many beautiful flowers to enjoy.

The Azores are an autonomous region of Portugal. The islands of the Azores are part of Macaronesia. Corvo and Flores are on the North American tectonic plate. The cafe in Faja Grand will tell you you’re having the most western ice cream in Europe. This isn’t true geographically, since you’re already in North America. It’s also not true politically, since France has held onto scattered remains of its empire. Regardless, I will not think any less of you if you pose with your gelato in front of the sign. It’s a cute photo op.

Flores basics

• Getting there: The only way to reach Flores year round is by SATA Azores Airlines. It will take at least two flights, assuming you are coming from a city with direct flights to São Miguel, Terceira, or Faial. There’s a chance your flight will have a stop in Horta. During the summer you can also supposedly take the Atlanticoline Ferry from Faial.
• Planning: If you carefully plan your trip, chances are high that things will be a mess. If you plan an itinerary that has you hopping from one island to another, be sure your tickets are changeable or refundable. If you want to fly into Flores and out of Corvo, be sure to give yourself at least a week.
• How long to visit Flores: Locals suggest you need to plan to be here for at least a week, in order to ensure you’ll have time to see things in case your flight is delayed a few days and there’s bad weather. When a friend visited me for a week and we were blessed with excellent weather the whole time, we still had no problem staying busy the whole time.
• Where to stay on Flores: The island has campgrounds, a hostel, some hotels, and many vacation rentals. If you’re coming in the summer, you need to book six months in advance if you want to have anything to choose between. An option that allows you to affordably spend weeks or months on the island is WorkAway, WWOOF PT, or HelpX.
• Phone service: Confusingly, I had better coverage with an Airlo eSIM (CORI3976 for $3 off) than Vodafone PT or Google Fi. Regardless, all three provided decent coverage, even while I was far from a town.
• Vegan and vegetarian options: Given the demographics of who visits Flores as a tourist, most places provide at least one vegetarian or vegan option. If not, you can charm them into coming up with something for you. However, since the selection of food on the island is limited by supplies, you may need to be pretty flexible in terms of eating whatever vegan thing is available.
• Don’t get sick: Flores does not have a hospital. There is a health center and two pharmacies in Santa Cruz. If you need a hospital, you will need to be transported to São Miguel and Terceira. Residents regularly travel to other islands for medical care. In emergencies, they are flown out by military helicopter.