THE AZORES SERIES, DAY 6
CORVO ISLAND
Corvo and an insane Tinder story. With the lack of health care of some islands, The Azores had to setup extra protocols beyond those of mainland Portugal. Other than having the PCR upon arrival, you are also required to do another 5 days into your trip.
ANOTHER COTTON BUD UP THE NOSE
Although travelling between small islands with limited facilities, the process is actually very simple. A day or 2 before your 2nd test you’re contacted with details on where to go and then again once the results are out, or not as it proved to be for me.
ISOLATED
Flores is one of the most isolated islands on the Azores and isn’t helped by the orientation of it’s runway. Most propeller planes cannot land during crosswinds. Since the airport was built north to south, crosswinds from the east often cause it to close. PCR tests were delayed several days to get out to Terceira Island for testing. With limited accommodation, it’s not the best place to get stuck.
DAILY INFO….
- HOTEL – Casas Da Quinta (Flores), 7/10, £120
Not only will the airport shut down frequently but the ports also experience delays & closures. I was asked to delay my boat to Corvo until tomorrow. Tight for time, I insisted, and the skipper delayed it a few hours instead. A bit of chop hurt no one!
CHOP CHOP
The trip was choppy alright but I could imagine it to every bit as special on a calm day. The boat detours through caves and alongside waterfalls on the northeast coast. I’ve not got the best sea legs but when it’s a rib boat going at decent speed, it’s never a problem.
DESOLATE
Walking around Corvo, it was hard to understand what it offers the locals. With only 400 people, friends are scarce and finding someone unrelated is another problem! After a quick walk around the town I got the islands only taxi up to Caldeirão do Corvo, which is the crater of the island’s extinct volcano – every island seems to have one.
DAILY TRAVEL STATS….
- Steps – 14,100
WEATHER
It was clear (good word) that the weather wasn’t going to play ball again as the driver tried to actively encourage me not to go up, which considering he probably didn’t have a list of fares was nice of him.
I wanted to see it for myself, so I drove up for 10 minutes but saw nothing but the 10 feet ahead. Knowing what was actually right infront of me – one of the nicest views of the Azores – made it that little bit more difficult, it’s not like it’s convenient to get to 😬.
TAXI DRIVER
Anyway, I couldn’t fault the taxi driver (from Chicago of all places!) who stopped at a viewpoint of the town (slightly lower altitude thankfully) to talk me through it – didn’t take long mind you. There is one doctor, dentist, school, bank, retirement home, and post office. I wonder if Amazon does Prime deliveries? More than what 400 people need but still the bare minimum.
WHALING BOATS
After another walk around the town I headed to the tourist office for a look at the whaling boat. Whaling was big in the Azores and likely the last place it was practiced before being outlawed in 1986. The guide talked me through it but it was his story about his girlfriend that would put even the best of us to shame.
RELATED READ: WAKING UP IN A WINTER WONDERLAND
TINDER
He matched with a girl from California over a year ago and has kept in touch through messaging, phone calls, and Facetime. They haven’t met yet but decided to commit to a relationship about 11 months ago. Not hard for him as his choices are probably very limited here. She plans to fly to Corvo to stay for 3 months. 😬Corvo has its charm, but it’s no California! Fair play to both of them 🤞🏼.
FACTS….
- With a history of battling pirates, corsairs, and recurrent rough Atlantic storms, local corvinos are known for their history of resilience and courage.
- The population of Corvo is less than 500 people.
- Corvo means crow.
- Corvo is volcanic in origin, it is also the smallest island in the Azores, with an area of 7 square miles (17.5 Km2).
SIDE STORY
We bumped into a driver for the local tour operator who had his voice box removed. I was strangely asked in Flores if I met him – being a small island and that he’s quite distinguishable made it very likely. His son was driving the people carrier that tumbled down the cliff, killing a Portuguese lady and injuring three other tourists critically. His dad was relentless in making him work, and the crash was due to a lack of rest.
After getting soaked on the boat back, it was back to Santa Cruz (Flores) where it still seems to be the only town In the Azores where the sun shines. A quick change before heading back into the mountains for the 5th time, in the hope that the weather has cleared. Again, wishful thinking.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I would love to come back in 6 months to see how this relationship ends up, best of luck to this gent!
NEXT UP
Getting the moon boots on for a visit to Capelinhos, Faial, click to read.
SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
144/229
This post is part of The Azores Series, click to explore the series or for episode 1, click here.
To watch the video of my trip, head to my highlights on my Instagram.
