Although quite smaller, comparing to other islands in the archipelago, the island of Flores possesses a set of interesting geosites that can be appreciated from its many viewpoints. To understand the origin of this fairy-tale like island, we will take a look at its morphology and the multiple lagoons that feed and embellish the landscape.
This itinerary begins in Pico da Casinha Viewpoint, from where you can appreciate one of the most striking geosites on the island of Flores: Pico da Sé. This trachytic dome is located between the valleys of Ribeira da Badanela and Ribeira da Fazenda de Santa Cruz, two of the most important water courses on the island. This kind of volcanic structure is formed when lava is too viscous to flow easily. Thus, it accumulates directly over the opening emitting the lava, resulting in a formation with high relief and very inclined slopes.
We head to Lagoa da Lomba Viewpoint, the smallest, and the most distant from all the calderas existing in Flores, 500 meters above sea level. Accessing its banks is relatively easy. On clear days, you can effortlessly make a photograph look like a postcard, making one easily tempted to look for yet another of this island's magnificent lagoons. Visitors will be surprised to discover Lagoa Funda and Lagoa Rasa located side by side, visible from the same viewpoint, on the southern sector of the island's central plateau. They are associated with hydro magmatic eruptions, in which the magma ascends and gets into contact with water, thus creating explosive activity. The lagoons we find in both these depressions have different altitudes, despite their proximity (360 m in the case of the Caldeira Funda's lagoon, and 530 m in the case of the Caldeira Rasa's lagoon). This is, undoubtedly, one of the most striking and exuberant geolandscapes in the Azores.
Besides the island's stunning lagoons, one can also be suprised by simply taking a stop at the Filão dos Frades. This rocky wall, rising abruptly over its surroundings, is a subvolcanic structure of great geological interest, resulting from distinct erosion processes happening at different rates.
We suggest a final stop at the famous Rocha dos Bordões, one of the island's ex-libris. These huge rocky columns, resembling stone rods, correspond to a columnar jointing structure, associated with the cooling of a lava flow. With about 20 m high, this is an exceptional geosite, not only for its magnificence, but also for its state of conservation, taking into account that the lava flow which originated it was formed approximately 570,000 years ago. Don't miss out!
