Here in the western most European village

Fajã Grande has some less then 200 inhabitants and, lying on the “alternative” west coast of Flores, it is Europe’s westernmost village. It is situated on the seashore of a coastal plain (fajã) and is enclosed by a high cliff of 90 meters with about 20 waterfalls. A few minutes from home are natural rock pools, water pools/holes under the waterfalls, a Balneario with beach facilities, a natural sea-water swimming pool for children and some little taverns. All this lying under the orange sunset over the ocean.

How far is Fajã Grande from the airport?

You can arrive in Flores only with a plane, there aren’t boat connections from the continent. Only some from the central islands in the summer but they take about 8 hours to reach Lajes das Flores, south of Fajã Grande. Once landed east in the fajã of Santa Cruz, the road rise up cutting the island through west, inside the Parque Naturais dos Açores up to 600 meter asl, and then descends to the coastal plains (fajãs). You will see Fajãzinha from height and after you will arrive to our fajã with the high Falésia with waterfalls on your right. It takes half an hour with a car (+/- 23km).

Do we need to rent a car?

If you like to be autonomous and don’t come here just for hiking, a car is the best choice. You may find their websites online just googling their names: Autatlantis, OC Experience, Ilha Verde, Ocidental, Braga & Braga and Azorescar.

Markets, Restaurants

There are two Markets and several good Restaurant and Snack-Bar. Each has its own special taste and they should be tried all, in our opinion.

How to ask for a reservation?

When you navigate through the site and decide which room to book, calendars could be used to select with one click on it for the IN day, and one more click on the OUT day (4 days aka 3 nights is the minimum stay). Insert your email, then your name and needs in the reference, and book. You will have soon a detailed answers also checked by a human being with availability, total price and info to secure the reservation.

How to secure your booking?

A Bank Money Order is suggested to secure the booking of a room, corresponding to the 30% of the total cost of the scheduled stay (50% for more rooms reservation).

You will receive a receipt of it, if you need and invoice please tell us before adding your name, address and VAT number. The remaining balance can be paid upon departure by cash or online banking before getting Flores. We do not accept any credit card, ATM service are available in Fajã Grande, Santa Cruz and Lajes.

The minimum stay are 3 night.
Stays of less nights will be charged 3 nights anyway, we are really sorry about this but we work just six months a year and rooms are scheduled in this way.
The prices listed include VAT 4%.
Release / Cancellations: for single rooms free until a month ahead of time; payment of 50% of the whole stay between 15 and 30 days ahead of time; cancellation between 1 e 15 days prior to client’s arrival, or No show: we charge the whole cost of the stay.

Argonauta on the net

Everything that is shown outside this website is part of the old management, prior 2016. I did try to inform places like Tripadvisor or Booking to erase pictures or informations that are no longer valid but, unfortunately there’s no way because they abuse of their position and even with lawyers is not possible to be erased… like a deep state that could not be reached! So just be aware that the truth is here and of course, I may understand that not all could agree with the majority of the people that coming here is really happy of the place and the service. You see some of those people that need a standard way of an hotel reading their frustration on some of their reviews on Tripadvisor: it is really illuminating! It’s a shame they cannot be recognizable but this is the way of the net frustration, hiding themselves, being unhappy launching stones…
So I encourage you to go in another place if you are a Tripadvisor follower, this place has nothing to do with anything of those standards.

Argonauta Philosophy

Argonauta Guesthouse stands near the Parish church. The original building dates back at least three centuries and was throughly refurbished in 1929, when it featured the first bathroom in Fajã Grande, the first iron kitchen and the only piano on the island of Flores (all of them are now in the “Gaia” room, except the piano in Santa Cruz museum). Since 1991, Argonauta Guesthouse has been operating through a resident owner (the “Argonauta”), registered as ‘AL n. 237 – Alojamento Local’ at local Tourist Authorities; in 2016 a new Argonauta took the helm, continuing and renovating the peaceful welcoming of visitors from any culture to Fajã Grande and Flores Island! Argonauta Guesthouse in our days features a warm place where to rest and treasure feelings while discovering this island; it will be the desired place to go back to, to rest after a great walking or a sunny bath, surrounded by many books, pictures and stories, from many countries… And warm welcome from Alice, a lady cat. And the songs of the Cagarro… It’s a restful “travel” into the travel to this island! All within the 5 art rooms and suites with bathroom, into the main house.
Argonauta Guesthouse is committed to guarantee the usual, personal, high-Atlantic hospitality to its Guests, providing them with the secret maps for breathtaking walks, car & photographic tours, kayaking, canyoning, or marine and lake routes.

Thanks to the use of natural cleaning products, we have banned the use of any chemical substance for your stay, from bed to breakfast.
This island is badly served from the Continent, for food and any other thing you usually find anywhere else. The supply of food comes only every two weeks, through a ship that arrives from Lisbon, passing from central islands first and then coming here. So it may happen that after a few days of its passage, there is a lack of food. Solutions are the friends that share with us some of their cultivations. And the care given to all the food we store.
It’s a different kind of living, taking care of everything because it becomes important (food, plastic, paper, glass): we reuse many of the things one usually throws away.
It’s very SAD to see food LEFTOVERS on plates and tables or the buffet being used without respect. You eat with your mouth, not with your eyes.
Please, you may always take more but food wasted is WASTED.

Try to keep clean, whatever you do: keep the linens and towels you have in custody and use as clean as possible (remember – no chemicals allowed for washing!). Keep the world clean, do your share, we all live in it! Treat this place, any place, like your own place. Argonauta Guesthouse is NO hotel: it’s a special, sustainable place a host receives guests, to share its “Argonauta” goals and have a great stay. We ask our Guests to dive in our philosophy.

We are happy to give hospitality to people who share our philosophy.
Guests should read and think through, before reserving in Argonauta Guesthouse. There are hotels in Santa Cruz and private houses in Fajã Grande, these are a good alternatives for those who won’t share our goals. We always hope to give you an unforgettable stay and this happens when everyone lives in a respectful way, enjoying the magic of US, that we all are just ONE.

copyright@Argonauta AL n.237