The Casas das Flores are located on the south shore of the island of Flores. Flores is the most western island of the Azores archipelago, and lies on the Mid-Atlantic ridge, thus right in the middle between the American and European continent. It is 17 km north to south, 14 km east to west and has about 3.800 islanders – Florentines. It is of volcanic origin but is considered to be the geological safest of the Azorean islands since it fully lies now on the North American plate. The name Flores comes from the large amount of flowers that flourish the year round on the island. It is a very peaceful living on Flores with no dangerous animals or flowers. However, be prepared to experience the full elements year round. Temperatures hardly ever drop below 10 °C, but strong winds can occur quickly and leave as fast they came, particularly in winter and spring (for information on what to take, please have a look at our ‚Tips & Tricks‘). In summer, the winds bring the sailors to the island. Other than these friendly species, Flores remained so far fairly isolated from larger scale tourism and preserved its natural charm.
The Casas are authentic Azorean houses – with the stone house first mentioned in the local registry in 1840 – aiming at using as many natural and local resources (including the usage of solar energy) as possible, helping visitors to indulge into local life and nature.
To the Casas belongs an organic fruit and vegetable garden where guests are invited to pick their own fruit and vegetables for personal usage. The selection depends of course on what has recently been planted and the Sub Mediterranean seasonal harvests. Some examples:
- Tamarillo (Tree tomatoes): October – January
- Oranges: October – March
- Lemons: October – March
- Pineapple: August – October
- Bananas: all-year
Occasionally, you might even be able to milk a goat for fresh milk on a nearby field also belonging to the Casas.
