Walking and Sight-Seeing - Flores Islands

Flores is a paradise for fishermen. The craggy seashore gives them an endless number of fishing grounds where they can catch large fish such as bluefish bream, amberjack, conger eels, stone bass, grouper, mackerel, snapper, etc. But if the sports fishermen find abundant catches in Flores, underwater sportsmen have, in the depths, fringed by multi-coloured rocks, an abundance of animal and vegetable life and in the island's caves, attractions for many days spent appreciating the beauty beneath the sea.

For the same reasons the underwater diving-dress practice increased a lot those past years, not only due to those wonderful sea conditions, but also due to the rising of specialised and well-equipped clubs on that particularly practice - Clube Naval das Lages das Flores - Phone: +351-(0)92-53145 and fax: +351-(0)92-53605.

The roads will take you to the main attractions of Flores. There are also hidden areas of real scenic beauty, that can only be discovered by walking through flowers and green fields, crossing murmuring brooks and small waterfalls.

The Streams and Fishing - Flores Island - Sporting Holidays

Flores is a paradise for fishermen. The craggy seashore gives them an endless number of fishing grounds where they can catch large fish such as bluefish bream, amberjack, conger eels, stone bass, grouper, mackerel, snapper, etc. But if the sports fishermen find abundant catches in Flores, underwater sportsmen have, in the depths, fringed by multi-coloured rocks, an abundance of animal and vegetable life and in the island's caves, attractions for many days spent appreciating the beauty beneath the sea.

For the same reasons the underwater diving-dress practice increased a lot those past years, not only due to those wonderful sea conditions, but also due to the rising of specialised and well-equipped clubs on that particularly practice - Clube Naval das Lages das Flores - Phone: +351-(0)92-53145 and fax: +351-(0)92-53605.

The swiftly flowing streams, whose sparkling waters enhance the landscape of Flores, are also a paradise for fishermen, who can catch delicious trout in them.
Main fishing areas are in the streams of Moinhos, Além Fazenda, Fazenda, Silva, Urzela, Grande and Lake Lomba.

Sails in the Atlantic - Flores Island - Sporting Holidays

Flores is a paradise for fishermen. The craggy seashore gives them an endless number of fishing grounds where they can catch large fish such as bluefish bream, amberjack, conger eels, stone bass, grouper, mackerel, snapper, etc. But if the sports fishermen find abundant catches in Flores, underwater sportsmen have, in the depths, fringed by multi-coloured rocks, an abundance of animal and vegetable life and in the island's caves, attractions for many days spent appreciating the beauty beneath the sea.

For the same reasons the underwater diving-dress practice increased a lot those past years, not only due to those wonderful sea conditions, but also due to the rising of specialised and well-equipped clubs on that particularly practice - Clube Naval das Lages das Flores - Phone: +351-(0)92-53145 and fax: +351-(0)92-53605.

Situated on the main route linking Europe and America, a growing number of yachts call every year at Flores, attracted by its geographical position, the port of Santa Cruz and the welcoming hospitality. Flores thus constitutes, together with Faial, Terceira and São Miguel, one of the points of the quadrangle that takes in the whole archipelago, enabling visitors to enjoy cruises in Azorean waters.

The Islets - Flores Island - The Charm of The Landscape

The island of Flores is Nature in all its exuberance. Deep valleys cut by streams. Peaks and hills marking the horizon, breaking up the landscape. Rolling countryside that descends to the coast and ends in vertical cliffs. Cove, mild sharp, rocky capes. Everywhere is greenery plants and flowers, and edging the fields, in strips that stretch for miles and miles up and down mountains and valleys, the sky blue hydrangeas.

All round the island, there are numerous small islets that lend colour to the blue of the sea and bear picturesque names such as Alvaro Rodrigues, Fragata, Maria Vaz and Cartório. Abrões islet is crossed by a curious grotto and Monchique islet is the westernmost part of Europe, having served, in the times of navigation by astronomy, as a reference point for adjusting routes and checking navigational instruments.

The Sea and Fishing - Sao Miguel - Sporting Holidays

The indented coast of the island and the wealth and variety of fish make São Miguel a paradise for those who are keen on rock fishing.
The main species caught are barracuda, red bream, bluefish bream, conger eel, garfish, trigger fish, jack grevalle, mackeral, moray eel and common sea bream. Many fishing grounds are famous, the most interesting being those located at Ponta Deigada, Ponta das Freiras, Ferraria, Mosteiros, Ponta da Bretanha, Porto das Capelas, Poços de São Vicente, Rabo de Peixe, Ponta and Porto da Ribeira do Nordeste, Agua Retorta and Faial da Terra.


The existence of depths of 300 to 800 meters a short distance off the roast (2 to 3 km) makes it possible, with the use of a boat, to fish for barracuda, oceanic bonito, bluefish bream, dolphin, amberjack and several species of tuna.
Of course it is the large and combative sword fish, oceanic bream, pecos, several kinds of tuna and shark, etc. that supply opportunity for thrilling struggles to keen sports fishermen Several record catches have already been made. Ponta Delgada has specially equipped boats for this purpose and they cruise as far as the Formigas islets.

Dolphin and Whale Watching - Azores

From the beginning, the Azoreans hunted whales for oil. They were so successful that every major Atlantic whaling expedition would stop in the Azores. In 1979, Portugal not only outlawed whaling, but also made the deep waters around the Azores a natural reserve.
The economic impact to the whaling industry was replaced by the eco-tourism of whale and marine-life watching that soon took over. Former whalers became guides, spotters, and hosts in museums.


Lookout towers (called Vigias) were built in strategic positions high on the mountains and there, experienced searchers watched for the arrival of the sperm whales and sent messages for the whaling boats to be launched.

Today the Vigias are used for exactly the same purpose but now the watchers radio to the powerful Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs) who can then take their passengers directly to the area in which the whales are swimming. The boats can manouver to within 50 metres of these enormous mammals - the minimum distance suggested by the Whale Watching Code of Ethics. In the case of dolphins, however, the boats can manoeuvre much closer and, given the right conditions, parties of 3 persons (plus a diving instructor), can actually swim with the dolphins.

The Azores in general and the narrow gap between Faial and Pico in particular are on the migratory route for various types of Whale and numerous types of Dolphin.

Hence the interest of the locals in hunting the whale and the establishment of whaling stations at Lajes do Pico and at Horta on the Island of Faial (the remains of which can be seen today). Whaling in the Azores stopped in 1987 and there is a most interesting museum of the former whaling industry at Lages do Pico, showing the amazingly small boats, the harpoons and all the necessary whaling equipment. It is well worth a visit and illustrates vividly the courage and tenacity of the Whalers (Called locally "Sea Wolves").

It is interesting to note that only sperm whales were hunted by the Azoreans (because it is the only species which floats when dead) and that the total number of whales ever caught by them is exceeded in one year by a single Japanese whale factory ship.

Today, whale watching in the Azores often means going out to sea in a small semi-inflatable motor boat in search for the largest mammal on the planet. Launches ferry people to the whales for a close-up encounter. New laws passed by the Regional Government protect the whales and the visitors by limiting the number of boats, and the speed and distance they can use to approach a herd. Experienced guides offer insights into the lives of these creatures and, best of all, seeing a whale is almost guaranteed. This is because on mountainsides throughout the central group of islands, former whalers are posted as spotters, radioing in the position and number of whales to the boats. Local whales include sperm whales, northern bottlenose, pilot, sowerby's beaked whales, and occasionally orcas. Two excellent whaling museums may be found on the island of Pico, detailing the history and culture of the now-banned trade.

The species that are commonly sighted on these trips include: Sperm Whales, the largest and most numerous in these waters are individually identified by photographs taken of the undersides of their flukes when diving. The other toothed Whales frequently sighted are Northern Bottlenose Whales, Pilot Whales, Orcas and Sowerby’s Beaked Whales. The Dolphins sighted regularly in these waters are Common, Atlantic Bottlenose, Risso, Atlantic Spotted and Striped Dolphins.

The protected waters has not simply been good for the whale watching industry, but has helped numerous whale species to recover and prosper, making whale watching an exciting and unique experience.