If you are going to visit the island of Flores, we recommend you to stay in the western part of the island, in Fajã Grande and surroundings, and specifically we recommend these two accommodations where we stayed during our last trip to Flores: Aldeia da Cuada, if you want to live a rural tourism experience or Villas do Mar to feel at home in the westernmost tip of Europe and watch the sunset from the sofa.
The small island of Flores, the westernmost island in Europe, won the position of the most beautiful for Randomtrip in our particular RandomAzores Oscars after getting to know the 9 islands of the archipelago. And, Fajã Grande is our favorite area of the island, where some of the most breathtaking places in Flores are located, where to see the best sunset to say goodbye to the day and where our favorite place to have dinner is.
For these reasons, whenever we return to this Portuguese paradise we always try to stay here or nearby. In this post we tell you about our experience staying in what are, in our opinion, the best options to stay in Flores: Aldeia da Cuada and Villas do Mar.
Accommodations in Flores sell out fast, especially if you travel in high season (Easter and summer), so if you want to stay in Aldeia da Cuada or Villas do Mar, we recommend you to book as far in advance as you can.
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Aldeia da Cuada: a beautiful abandoned village transformed into rural tourism
Aldeia da Cuada was born from the reconversion and recovery of the stone houses of an old abandoned village into a rural tourism complex with restaurant and heated swimming pool included.
Brief history of Aldeia da Cuada
Founded in 1676 in the parish of Cuada (between Fajã Grande and Fajãzinha), the first record of this village is of a wedding in 1705. At the beginning of the 19th century, the village had about 122 inhabitants distributed in two dozen houses, being most of the houses very humble where only two houses had tile roofs.
Most of the inhabitants were mainly dedicated to agriculture and weaving , but in the 1960s, with the strong Azorean migration to the American continent (especially to Canada and the United States), the village was abandoned.
The eruption of the Capelinhos volcano on the island of Faial in 1957 caused the emigration of more than 30% of the population of the Azores. The Azorean Refugee Act, passed by John F. Kennedy in 1958, granted 1500 visas for the affected families from Faial, although in the following decades, more than 175,000 people from the Azores (from several islands, including Flores) migrated to the USA and Canada. We tell you more in the Capelinhos section of our complete guide to Faial.
Faced with the abandonment and deterioration of the village, the Florentine couple Teotónia and Carlos Silva, who lived near the village and witnessed the degradation, bought a small house in the village to convert it into a vacation home almost 4 decades ago. Every year they tried to buy some dilapidated cottage with their savings, gradually restoring the village houses, preserving their old architectural features and adapting them for tourist use. Today, Aldeia da Cuada has 21 houses including reception, restaurant, guest houses and houses for external services.
Currently Aldeia da Cuada is considered a Heritage of Cultural, Architectural and Landscape Interest by the Regional Government of the Azores and the project is managed by their daughter, Carlota, and her husband Silvio who are also owners of the accommodation that we will talk about in the next point, Villas do Mar.
Types of houses in Aldeia da Cuada
Each of the houses of the former inhabitants of the village were transformed into 17 renovated houses of different sizes (1, 2, 4 or 6 bedrooms) with their own kitchen and outdoor space with table and hammocks, keeping the name of the last person who lived there or the function it had in the village. The interior of each cottage has antique furniture, handmade lace and typical objects of everyday life in the Azores.
Currently there are:
- Eight one-bedroom houses with one bedroom, one bathroom, kitchen and outdoor space.
- Seven two-bedroom houses with one room with a double bed, another room with separate beds, a bathroom, kitchen and outdoor space.
- One four-bedroom house with two rooms with double beds, two rooms with separate beds, two bathrooms, kitchen, living room and outdoor space
- A six-bedroom house with four rooms with double beds, two rooms with separate beds, four bathrooms, kitchen, living room and outdoor space.
At Randomtrip we stayed in a one-bedroom cottage with kitchen and garden that was the old village barn, the“Palheiro da Quinta” (the Farm Barn) cottage.
Access to each of the houses is by a nice old cobblestone path of the village where you have to go slowly and carefully and even the entrance to the houses themselves is done through stairs so it is not a rural complex accessible for people with reduced mobility.
If, unlike Randomtrip, you are a suitcase person and not a backpacker, don’t worry, in Aldeia da Cuada they ask you if you need help to carry your suitcases to your house (they have staff to do it) both at check in and check out.
Also, you can ask to stay in a house closer to the entrance/reception if available. It’s perfect for resting, you won’t hear anything else besides nature sounds.
Aldeia da Cuada also offers a transfer service in case you don’t plan to rent a car, although to explore this wonderful island at your own pace we highly recommend renting a car.
Buffet breakfast at Aldeia da Cuada
The buffet breakfast includes homemade jams, Azorean yogurt, cheese, breads and pastries, all delicious local and homemade products (my mouth waters every time I think of that Flores butter) and is served in the restaurant of the rural complex from 7:30h to 10:00h.
Swimming pool at Aldeia da Cuada
If you stay at Aldeia da Cuada, you can enjoy a heated outdoor pool overlooking the stunning Florentine waterfalls and the sea!
Aldeia da Cuada is a 3-minute drive (or a 20-minute walk) from the most impressive place on the island: the Poço Ribeira do Ferreiro with its lagoon reflecting the imposing succession of more than a dozen waterfalls.
Aldeia da Cuada Restaurant
Aldeia da Cuada’s restaurant features delicious dishes centered on local and seasonal products from small farmers. It is open to the public so you will be able to try their dishes (booking in advance as it gets busy) even if you are not a guest.
You will find a variety of starters (including vegan options), fish and meat dishes. Starters cost between 4 and 12€, main courses between 25 and 35€ and a glass of wine 6€.
At Randomtrip we had dinner one of the days at the Aldeia da Cuada restaurant. The dishes were delicious, in this case we chose for starter “Torrada da Terra” – bolo lêvedo com queijo da ilha e crumble de linguiça; for main courses Massada de Peixe and Peixe do Dia com Arroz de Tomate and for dessert passion fruit cheesecake.
Other services at Aldeia da Cuada
Aldeia da Cuada ‘s reception is located right at the entrance and is open from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm, and 24-hour telephone service is available for inquiries or check-in outside these hours. In addition, check-in is between 3:00 pm and 9:00 pm, and check-out is between 7:00 am and 12:00 noon.
Although it is not staffed outside these hours, the reception of Aldeia da Cuada remains open as it is the only place in the entire rural complex that has Wifi so if you need it you can go there at any time. Although it is designed so that you can disconnect from the online world, there is coverage in the area so if you have mobile data you can connect anywhere (if you want to stay connected, check out our article about the best eSIM cards in the Azores)
Aldeia da Cuada also has laundry facilities, a library and private parking.
If you wish, they also organize themed retreats, weddings and baptisms (with previous reservation) as well as activities related to hiking, cycling and whale and dolphin watching.
Prices and bookings at Aldeia da Cuada
The prices of Aldeia da Cuada vary according to season and type of house, being that in high season (summer, long weekends or holidays) they fill up faster and have a higher price/night. Here are the starting prices that you can find:
- One-bedroom house (one bedroom, one bathroom, kitchen and outdoor space): from 107€/night.
- Two-bedroom house (one bedroom with double bed, one bedroom with twin beds, one bathroom, kitchen and outdoor space): from 138€/night
- Four-bedroom house (two bedrooms with double bed, two bedrooms with twin beds, two bathrooms, kitchen, living room and outdoor space): from 262€/night
- Six-bedroom house (four bedrooms with double bed, two bedrooms with twin beds, four bathrooms, kitchen, living room and outdoor space): from 329€/night
You can book your Aldeia de Cuada house at this link.
Villas do Mar is probably the best (or one of the best) accommodation on the island of Flores and, moreover, it is located in the westernmost part of Europe.
Located in the heart of Fajã Grande, Villas do Mar has comfortable villas of different sizes (two or three bedrooms) 50 meters from the sea, next to the beach of Fajã Grande, its natural pools and a couple of restaurants, from which you will enjoy breathtaking views of the sea, the Poço do Bacalhau waterfall and the last sunset in Europe.
Types of villas at Villas do Mar
At Villas do Mar you will find nine 2-bedroom Standard Villas with full or partial sea view and one three-bedroom Deluxe Villa with full sea view.
All Standard Villas consist of a double suite with private bathroom, a twin bedroom with private bathroom, living room, fully equipped kitchen and a third bathroom. Each villa also has a balcony with outdoor furniture for relaxing while using the barbecue.
At Randomtrip we stayed in the Deluxe Villa with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a huge living room with breathtaking views, a spacious kitchen with all kinds of kitchenware and access to the outdoor barbecue with the stunning Poço de Bacalhau waterfall as a backdrop. A dream accommodation from which we did not want to wake up/leave.
Prices and reservations at Villas do Mar
The prices of Villas do Mar vary according to season and according to the type of villa, being that in high season (summer, long weekends or holidays) they fill up faster and have a higher price/night. Here are the starting prices that you can find:
- Standard Villa Partial Sea View (2 bedrooms -one bedroom with double bed and one with twin beds; three bathrooms; living room, fully equipped kitchen; and balcony with barbecue): from 99€/night
- Standard Villa Total Sea View (2 bedrooms -one bedroom with double bed and one with twin beds; three bathrooms; living room, fully equipped kitchen; and balcony with barbecue): from 131€/night
- Villa Deluxe Vista Total Mar (3 bedrooms -one bedroom with double bed and two bedrooms with separate beds; three bathrooms; living room, fully equipped kitchen; and balcony with barbecue): from 200€/night
You can book your villa at Villas do Mar at this link.
Restaurants near Villas do Mar
Although the Villas do Mar are self-catering, nearby you have a couple of restaurant options that we recommend you try:
- Restaurant A Esplanada: this new restaurant, opened in April 2025, replaces the old and popular Papadiamandis. Its location in the middle of Fajã Grande with privileged views of the waterfalls and the imposing Atlantic Ocean makes it fill up quickly, although the prices have increased quite a bit compared to the previous restaurant. At Randomtrip we were lucky enough to go there at its opening, and we tried some balls of alheira (which we would not repeat), the fish of the day (grilled tuna with garlic butter, sautéed cabbage with peas and carrots and boiled potato, very good) and a sweet rice with ribs and sausages of the land that was spectacular (there was a lot of quantity so we had to order to take away), with a Terras de Lava wine from the island of Pico. We paid 94€, quite high even for Flores. The main courses cost between 25 and 30€. They also make pizzas from 12h to 18h.
- MaresÃa. Our favorite restaurant/bar/terrace on the island. Really more than a restaurant, MaresÃa is an experience: there is no menu and not many tables and if you are looking for a “typical restaurant”, this is not your place. Jorge welcomes you like in the living room of his house, he tells you what dish there is and how long it takes. If it’s okay with you, welcome. We have tried the shrimp curry once, and the octopus another time, and the duck on our last visit, all spectacular. It’s also an excellent place to enjoy the sunset and his collection of over 800 vinyls, enjoying the seaview and a good Rocha Negra Azorean gin. Of course, here we dined our first and our last night on the island, and again on our second visit in 2025. Looking forward to returning. Main courses cost between 25 and 35€ and gin azoriano 10€. You have to pay in cash.
- Barraca Q’abana: local with petiscos (tapas), hamburgers, bifanas and francesinhas right in front of the sea. Closes for dinner at 8pm, the bar at 11pm. It gets crowded at sunset. We ordered 2 take-aways (26€) for our accommodation, Villas do Mar, where we had a little wine waiting for us and enjoyed the sunset at home.
- Café da Laura: ideal for breakfast if you don’t have breakfast at your accommodation or for a snack. It has sandwiches, also in bolo levedo, bagels, queijadas and other sweets.
We hope this post has helped you decide where to stay in Flores. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments! Have a great stay, Randomtripper!
Disclaimer: SC Turismo (Aldeia da Cuada and Villas do Mar) invited us to try their accommodations in Flores mentioned in this article but all opinions and information expressed in this post are our own.
