The westernmost point of Europe — waterfalls, crater lakes, and hydrangea-bordered roads
Flores is the westernmost island of the Azores and the westernmost point of Europe — technically the edge of the continent, 2,200km from Lisbon. It is the most dramatic and least visited of the main Azores islands: seven calderas, 16 crater lakes, and waterfalls that plunge directly into the sea. The roads in summer are lined with blue hydrangeas so dense they form hedgerows that frame the volcanic landscape. Flores is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve; the clarity of the ocean around it makes it one of the Atlantic's best diving destinations.
Flores was the last of the Azores islands to be settled, in the 16th century. Its remoteness made it a target for pirates and corsairs throughout the Age of Exploration — Sir Richard Grenville's famous last stand against a Spanish fleet took place in these waters in 1591. The island's isolation preserved traditional Azorean culture and traditional lace-making longer than anywhere else in the archipelago. It remains one of the most sparsely populated places in Europe.