Flores is the Azores’ wild card: wetter and windier than any other island, but also more beautiful for it. The best time to visit depends on your tolerance for rain versus your desire for solitude. Here is how to time a visit to Flores for hiking, waterfall photography, and the unique emigrant festival culture.
Best Time to Visit Flores: Overall
July and September are the best months. July brings the driest weather (70mm), full hydrangea bloom, warm seas, and the Festa do Emigrante. September offers similar weather with thinner crowds and the Festa de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios. Both months give you a reasonable chance of clear caldera views while keeping the waterfalls flowing. August is the warmest and busiest but requires booking well ahead for the island’s limited accommodation inventory.
Best Time for Waterfall Photography on Flores
The waterfalls on Flores flow year-round, but their character changes with the seasons. March to May delivers the most powerful flow from winter rain runoff, combined with spring greenery and wildflowers. The Poço da Ribeira do Ferreiro complex is at its most dramatic in spring. June to September offers easier access: trails are drier, and you can combine waterfall visits with caldera hikes and swimming. The trade-off is reduced flow , the falls are still impressive but not the thunderous curtains of spring. Early morning provides the best light, and you will likely have the sites to yourself before 10am even in August.
Best Time for Hiking on Flores
June to September is the hiking window. The caldera rim trail, the Fajã Grande to Ponta Delgada coastal path, and the interior trails are all open and passable. The caldera viewpoint (Miradouro da Caldeira) offers clear views on roughly 50-60% of summer days. Morning hiking gives the best chance of clear conditions before afternoon cloud builds. Outside this window, trails become muddy, and the west coast paths may close after heavy rain. The island’s official trail network is well-marked with red and yellow stripes.
Cheapest Time to Visit Flores
October through May (excluding the Festa do Emigrante in July/August) is the low season. Hotel rates drop 30-40%, and flights are cheaper. October and May offer the best compromise: reasonable weather (18-22°C / 64-72°F, moderate rain) with most guesthouses and restaurants open. November through March is wet and quiet: some guesthouses close, and flight disruptions are possible. If you embrace the rain and the solitude, winter on Flores is unforgettable , but it is not for everyone.
