Frequently Asked Questions
It doesn't dock: ships anchor off Lajes das Flores and bring passengers ashore by tender. The small harbour's jetty was destroyed by a hurricane in October 2019, so landing depends on sea conditions and can be cancelled if the swell picks up.
Yes. The village starts a few minutes' walk from the landing: white houses with dark stone frames, a church overlooking the cove, viewpoints over the anchorage. Everything else on the island, however, requires a vehicle.
Focus on two sites. The Poço do Bacalhau waterfall and the Alagoinha site, at Fajã Grande on the opposite coast, are the classic pair; the crater plateau, with the Funda, Rasa, Negra and Comprida calderas, is the other. Trying to do everything in one call means spending the day in a minibus.
The Poço do Bacalhau, near Fajã Grande: a 90-metre fall dropping in a single jet into a dark pool at the foot of a green-draped cliff. A lava-stone path leads there past old water mills.
It's the safest choice. Distances are short, but the roads wind and transport is limited to a few minibuses and local guides. Without a booking, there is a real chance of being stuck in Lajes with no vehicle available.
A natural monument of basalt columns near Fajãzinha: more than two hundred stone pillars, 20 to 30 metres high, formed as lava cooled. It is one of the most striking formations in the entire Azores archipelago.
The euro. Cards work in restaurants and most shops in Lajes, but Flores is a small island: keep cash for village cafés, independent guides and remote spots.
Portuguese. English is understood in tourism and among excursion guides; French is rare. A few words of Portuguese are warmly received in the villages.
June through September, when the sea is calmest and tender landings are least likely to be cancelled. The blue hydrangeas peak in June and July. Even in summer, expect rain and mist: that is what keeps the waterfalls running.
With reservations. The tender landing, the winding roads and the slippery paths to the waterfalls suit toddlers poorly. School-age children, on the other hand, love the craters and the falls. Bring closed shoes and a raincoat.
