By Claudia Moebus Feb 13, 2007, 9:00 GMT
Santa Cruz das Flores - Europe's westernmost outpost lies in the middle of the Atlantic, about 1,500 kilometres from Lisbon and around 3,600 kilometres from the North American continent.
Nine volcanic islands emerge from the ocean - verdant and barely touched by mass tourism to form the Azores.
They are a paradise for hikers and naturalists. Flores is the greenest island in the archipelago. Hydrangea blooms in shades of blue, white and lilac from June to August. The Hedychium gardnerianum, a member of the ginger family, with yellow spiked blooms and red stamens, is common to this region.
Waterfalls plunge forth from mountains and hills, interspersed with Lagoas or lakes formed from craters. It all adds to the unforgettable character of this island which is 17 kilometres in length and around 12 kilometres in width. Visitors can bathe in a natural pool, known as the cod pond.
Not surprisingly the wettest island in the archipelago is said to be in a state of perpetual creation.
Flores is best discovered on foot. One of the nicest routes stretches from the village of Ponta Delgada through the valley of the Ribeira do Moinho and up to the scenic Faja Grande, Europe's westernmost settlement.
The path is only blazed sporadically with yellow-red marks, but it's easy to negotiate in good weather. When it rains, parts of the path becomes dangerously slippy.
The path starts as a narrow, paved road lined with grazing cows before being sucked up by hydrangeas and wildlife, sometimes going deep into the forest, sometimes skirting the coast. Dizziness is not an option when walking along the edge of sheer cliffs.
The view of the turquoise blue ocean, trees and stalks bending in the wind and cliffs covered in green is fantastic.
Then the descent starts over rocky crags with water seeping across the path. Even when it's not raining, this can be treacherous. After about 35 minutes hikers reach a grass-covered bend that provides a view of the plain Ponta Delgada Church and the spit of land that is Faja Grande.
Now hikers face the path's main problem: the route was only planned as a one-way trip. Hikers usually have a taxi pick them up in Faja Grande, if they cannot face hiking back for another six or seven hours. For those planning an excursion, this is the point to stop and rest before returning. Just remember, the return trip includes at least one fairly steep incline.
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