Lava Breakwater

We spent a considerable amount of time in Terceira where all the breakwaters are man-made. Terceira is a rather old island, so the wind and waves have had about three million years to wear the volcanic rock away, thus necessitating the construction of man-made structures to protect the harbors and shores from the punishing onslaught of the waves. 

Flores, is about a million years younger than Terceira, and it shows! The volcanic rocks on the shore are very jagged and do just fine destroying the waves and dissipating their energy without the aid of mankind. 

Maddie and I often wonder if the locals look up at the magnificent cliffs and waterfalls as often as we do! To think that this view can be found right next to the public boat ramp!  

So much splendor in such a small space. 

Twin Lakes

These two lakes are actually the remnants of two volcanic craters that were responsible for forming this part of the island a few million years ago. The lake on the right is actually used as the water reservoir for the entire island.  

During the rainy season, the lake will fill up and carry the entire water needs of the whole island through the dry season, when little rain falls to replenish the supply.  

These two lakes are considered a prime hiking destination, and listed on travel sites as a priority to see when visiting Flores. Then they go on to say that the only way to access the two lakes is via a 7km hike (one way, then you have to turn around and walk home)! I had heard that one of the lakes was a water reservoir, and knew there was no way that a government worker was going to hike 14 kilometers just to check on the lake. There had to be a road somewhere! 

So, we looked at the map and found that the lakes are located right next to a major highway on the island (which is a two way street with a dashed line down the middle of it) and that there was a small “service road” that forked off of the highway and led straight to the lakes. 

We went for a little drive and figured that we would at least be a lot closer to the lakes if we drove than if we started from miles away!  

Well, the service road ends in a parking lot that has some steps next to it. Maddie and I walked up the steps, maybe 100 meters, and this was the view! We could not believe that the trail ends at a parking lot, so we went exploring a little.

We found where the trail ends and began hiking it a little to see where the trail would go, and what the trail looked like. We snaked our way through a field and along the edge of the lake on the right, only to come out to the highway. Yes, the trail flanks the highway and at many points the trail “is” the highway. 

By driving to the lakes and skipping the 3 hour hike (one way), we were able to visit many more beautiful attractions and sights that this island has to offer. We did hike a little that day, but no where near the 14 kilometers that would have been required to get to these lakes, only to see a parking lot right next to the view we had worked so hard to see. 

Dry Crater

Most of the islands in the Azores were formed as a result of volcanic activity. Most all the volcanoes have gone dormant since then, but their impact on the topography can not be ignored. 

This crater, known as the Dry Crater, is massive! The sides of this creation look like cliffs, and the bottom of it is flat as a pancake. What was once a fiery pit of inferno has now become a lush hole in the ground. 

While this is called the “Dry” Crater, we did notice a lake that formed in the right side of it, though this was right after a massive downpour the day before.

Beach Bull

It seems that cows have free reign in the Azores. We came across a cow that was standing in the middle of the highway because it wanted to eat the grass that was growing on the side of the road. This bull was not tied to anything, and could easily have charged us, but it was just eating grass while it looked at the waves breaking on the cobblestone beach. 

The bull seemed pretty calm and relaxed, but I would still not recommend grabbing this bull by the horns!

Poço Ribeiras do Ferreiro, Again!

These waterfalls are considered to be the most gorgeous waterfalls in all of the Azores, and there are a lot of waterfalls on these islands! 

A few days ago, we saw them for the first time and were in awe at their beauty. Today, the weather was clearer and bits of blue sky were poking through the clouds. We decided to see them again, in the morning sunlight. 

Sometimes, when you see something amazing and then go away, your mind can manipulate your memory and exaggerate what you thought you saw. Upon returning to see it again, you might become disappointed because it is a far cry from what you thought was there. Reality can hurt like that sometimes. 

These falls did not disappoint! It had been a few days since we last saw them and they were, honestly, more spectacular the second time around! Instead of filming and recording everything we do when we first got there for our YouTube channel, we just sat there and took it in.  

Sitting on a small boulder that is jutting up out of the ground as you gaze upon the power of the waterfall will clear your mind and make you realize that no matter how hard you struggle, time will flow on, and it will work itself out in the end.  

The water that was calmly flowing through the river suddenly comes to a cliff and freefalls several hundred feet. Wind will push it one way or another trying to pull it in untold directions as the water falls. In the end, the water will reach the bottom and continue flowing on as it once was, with the chaos of the fall a distant memory in its long journey of life.