I realized I should start writing something about the awesome trip I took to the Azores and Madeira in early March. My husband wanted to take me to the Azores, and I was a bit hesitant…until I “discovered” Flores Island. This is THE place for waterfalls in the Azores. It has a similar vibe to the Hawaiian Islands, but there are probably only 4000 people on the island at any one time! It makes for a really wonderful visit. I didn’t hit all the waterfalls on the island, but I still hit five or six in the two days on the island.
The first waterfall isn’t advertised as others, but it was still beautiful. Alagoa Falls is found on the east side of the island. The drive to the falls is rather interesting. The roads on Flores can be rather steep and narrow, so you probably need to have nerves of steel. There aren’t many other options to get around the island, though. We drove down the narrow road to Alagoa Park and Camping Site. You don’t reach the park/camping site, though you do reach a parking area for two or three cars. There was a cat hanging out there. We started walking toward the ocean. You can see the camping area from there. You pass the camping area and head downhill to the shoreline.
Alagoa Falls is to the left. We walked a few hundred feet along the shoreline to the creek that meets the ocean. The waterfall is hidden a bit upstream. It wasn’t difficult to reach the falls, and we were the only ones there. One note: The path down to the falls isn’t wildly steep, but it can be rather wet and muddy. Good shoes will be useful here.
Other falls on the island are taller and bigger, but this was a fun first stop on the island.
Directions:
- Head north from the Flores Airport along the main road, ER1-2. You cannot reach the falls from this road, even if Google Maps makes it appear so.
- You’ll drive north on ER1-2 for just under 4.5 km. There will be a quick right turn/veer onto Ac. Parque de Merendas da Alagoa.
- Continue along this road until it ends at the parking area. From here, you can walk down the trail to the camping area, beach, and waterfall.
Accessibility: 8/10 (easy/moderate)
Height: 20′
Length of Hike: 0.4-miles round-trip
Where in the World is Cascata da Alagoa?