Flores: Europe's westernmost island in the Azores

The Twin Lakes of Flores, two volcanic craters side by side with water of different colors, remain the most photographed image of the island.

Minutes away, the Waterfall of Ribeira Grande, which plunges directly toward the ocean between cliffs covered in blue hydrangeas, ranks among the most scenic in the Azores.

Heading along the coast one reaches the village of Fajãzinha, considered among the most picturesque in the entire archipelago, nestled between sheer cliffs.

As evening falls, an excursion to Ponta Delgada, the western cape of the island, marks the westernmost point of all geographic Europe.

Flores, with its lighthouse on Ponta do Albarnaz, marks Europe's westernmost geographical point, though politically the Azores remain Portuguese territory and thus European in every respect.

The blue hydrangeas covering Flores' slopes during summer, introduced in colonial times, have become a distinctive botanical symbol of the entire Azores archipelago, celebrated annually with a dedicated festival.