6 Nature Experiences in Flores
WESTERNMOST RAILS IN EUROPE
For the nature lovers who visit Flores, it is almost obligatory to go through one of the several rails that the island has to offer, or at least parts of them. One of the most popular trails is the Ponta Delgada/Fajã Grande route, with a visit to the Farol do Albernaz (1) nd a stop in several spots, thus traveling the north/west coast for 4 hours 30 minutes and walking 13 km. This is the westernmost rail in Europe and may be an alternative to the lack of time to travel the Grande Rota do Ocidente.
The Grande Rota begins in the eastern part of the island, in Santa Cruz das Flores, and goes along the northeast coast to Ponta Delgada, continuing after the north to the south along the west coast, passing through the Fajã Grande and ending in Lajedo. In total, they are 47 kilometers in length to cover in 18 hours but they can be covered in 2 or 4 steps, adapting the ride to your experience and physical preparation. They are miles full of cliffs, valleys, streams, waterfalls, bays, and islets... With the sea, Corvo and the Monchique islet as a company.
POÇO DA RIBEIRA DO FERREIRO
THE Poço da Ribeira do Ferreiro (2) s a sacred place, where you should go with time to stop, contemplate and "savor" the lush landscape and silence that this nook of nature offers to those who visit it. To get to the Poço das Patas, as it is popularly known, it is necessary to walk a few hundred meters of a cobbled path and pure green that culminates in ecstasy in front of a majestic scenery where a series of cascades of the most varied rock spots spring up. It is all this and much more that makes this a magical and unforgettable place where silence reigns and feels a great inner peace.
CANYONING
Considered by many as the 'Mecca' of Canyoning, it presents great potential for the practice of this radical sport, due to the abundance and diversity of itineraries that its hundreds of streams have to offer. In all, there are 40 possible routes prepared for this purpose, which are distributed between the NW / NE and SW / SE zones of the island, from the simplest to the most complex and the large vertical ones, presenting varying levels of difficulty, but always with landscapes and even with the possibility of descending directly from the waterfalls to the sea near the caves of the northeast coast of the island.
DIVING IN CRYSTAL CLEAR WATERS
Diving in crystal clear waters with temperatures around 24/25 degrees, observing countless species but also shipwrecks is another possible experiment. Two of the most emblematic are the Slavonia, near the Lajedo (3) on the south-west coast of the island, where there is now an archaeological park, and the Papadiamandis, near the Fajã Grande (4) on the west coast of the island, although dozens of ships wrecked around the island. It should be noted that the sinking of the Slavonia, which dates back to 1909, has been prominent in the international press for a long time and that there are numerous private houses on the island where you can find various articles from the ship, such as furniture, doors, cutlery, and tableware.
BOAT TRIP AROUND THE ISLAND AND VISIT TO THE CAVES
It is a memorable experience that stands alone. The semi-rigid boat tour around the island allows you to observe it from other angles but also discover new places. The caves, the islets and other geological formations, the cascades and the cliffs, where the different shades of green contrast with the blue of the sky and the sea, enchant everyone. The adrenaline of the boat trip mixes with stories of corsairs and pirates of times gone by. It's about 4 to 5 hours away and is worth every minute and every cent. As an alternative to the complete boat trip to the island, it is possible to visit only the northeast coast of the island, between caves and islanders, on the way to the neighboring island of Corvo.
SPORTS FISHING
Flores is also synonymous with fish and fishing. Many are those who seek this island for the practice of sports fishing or playful fishing. In addition to companies owning vessels for this purpose, it is also possible to rent fishing gear or even board a fishing boat and enjoy the fishing experience with its owners.
Sara Nóia
