Flores, Island of Flowers

The Travels of Running Tide
Mick Norman
Tue 1 Jul 2014 19:39
Our decision to divert to Flores has been justified. The wind has died and
had we continued to Horta I think we would still be out there going no where or
motoring . The weather is set for doing not a lot for a few days so we can relax
and enjoy Flores.
Good fortune has therefore blown us to these shores. A most beautiful
island. Flores or the island of flowers is in full glory at the moment with
roads and field hedged with blue hydrangeas and masses of other yellow and red
flowers. It is so peaceful, with a total population of only 3300. We have just
spent the day in Santa Cruz the main town on the island and relaxed and enjoyed
the views and the peace and quiet. There is little industry other than farming
and fishing and so many of the youngsters have left for richer pastures on the
other islands but mainly onto mainland Portugal. We hope to hire a car in the
next few days and get up into the mountains to see the lagoons and waterfalls.
Flores is volcanic but there is no volcanic activity here at the moment. In
fact Flores is on the American tectonic plate whilst the rest of the Azores are
the European plate. Therefore Flores is moving away from the others at a few cm
a year and doesn’t feel the volcanic activity that the other islands
experience.
![]() Porto das Lajes
![]() Porto das Lajes
![]() Lighthouse, Lajes
![]() Santa Cruz
![]() Main Church Santa Cruz
![]() Inside
![]() Santa Cruz
![]() Harbour Santa Cruz
![]() Santa Cruz
![]() Natural Swimming Pool Santa Cruz. Isle of Corvo in the background
![]() Police Station Santa Cruz, Life of me I can’t think what they do all day.
Maybe they have a problem with loitering as in Bermuda?
![]() Main Square Santa Cruz
![]() Porto das Lajes |