Hiking Trail from “Aldeia da Cuada” to “Poço da Ribeira do Ferreiro” (“Poço da Alagoinha”) (Lajes das Flores – Flores), Hiking, Trekking, Walking Trails, Tracks, Pedestrian Routes, Portugal

This is our second visit to the Azorean Archipelago. Two years ago we’ve been on S. Miguel island and now we would visit the Western Group islands, Flores and Corvo.
Anxiety grew with the approach of the flight and now with the baby, the precautions and the preparation of the trip were different.
We took off early from Humberto Delgado Airport to scale in Horta, Faial Island, before heading to Flores Island. Due to weather conditions, particularly the dense fog that hit Flores Island, we left Horta with a few hours of delay and the landing at Santa Cruz das Flores Airport was a little bumpy.
The transfer to Aldeia da Cuada, that would welcome us in these days of discovery the island, was waiting for us at the airport. There was no need to travel through about 20km, separating the airport from the village, to quickly realize that these days would be few to know the full magnitude of the work done by nature on this island. Volcanic craters, lakes, large cliffs, a multitude of green, waterfalls, streams … water, lots of water that runs rampant everywhere, life sources that tear the island and take our look with them.
When we arrive at Cuada, our breathing has stopped. In this first contact, I remember thinking that if paradise really exists, then it would be here. Very likely.
The village located at the westernmost end of Europe consists of several houses in stone, once humble homes to a hard life that were being abandoned as a result of migration, especially to the US, in the 60s. Farming and weaving were the main activities and sources of income of a population that lived almost alone in this plateau with difficult access to the sea.
Fortunately Teotónia and Carlos Silva, our hosts, dreamed and rebuild step by step the soul of this place, reinvigorating it so that now others can enjoy too.
Stone unturned, the dream was becoming increasingly real and the difficulties encountered are nowadays transformed into a source of pride and satisfaction when celebrate the emotion that every visitor feel in this little paradise.
Despite feeling a little tired, we couldn’t waste much time. For every minute lost there is something that we wouldn’t see in the Island Rose, so named because of the abundance of azaleas in this wetland.
We decided to stretch our legs a little bit and meet the first postal card of Flores Island, the “Poço da Ribeira do Ferreiro” (Well of the Blacksmith River), aka “Alagoinha” or “Lagoa das Patas”. From the village, we follow to the right and find the regional road that continues to Fajã Grande. We walk in the opposite direction to find “Ribeira do Ferreiro” bridge. Here we see a series of small waterfalls that noisily follows its course through the dark rocks under the bridge. Immediately thereafter, the sign with “Poço da Ribeira do Ferreiro” will guide us to the good path. On the left we began to rise in the trail already set with the marks of the approved footpath “PR2 FLO – Lajedo – Fajã Grande”. The path of large stone slabs, with the slope and the high degree of humidity, can become very slippery. Carefully we walk on the leafy woods until we encounter an impressive masterpiece of nature.

An almost pure place, almost untouched, protected of man’s action.

From the rocky wall falls precipitously countless waterfalls into an idyllic lagoon. I can’t find the right words to describe this almost pure place, almost untouched, protected of man’s action. I have no doubt that this is a little piece of heaven that exists here in Flores for our contemplation.
We return by the same trail of slabs, now with extra caution when descending, to “Ribeira do Ferreiro” bridge where, on the right, we continue to the asphalt road with a high slope.
The mountain tops are shrouded in a dense fog that hides part of the green and the dramatic slopes but, on the other hand, creates a wonderful phantasmagorical landscape.
We walk now on a trail with superimposed stone walls and after a while we find again the asphalt road that leads us back to Aldeia da Cuada.