Tourism

Environmental Interpretation Center of Boqueirão

The Environmental Interpretation Center of Boqueirão was designed within the tanks where whale oil, melted at the Boqueirão Whaling Factory, used to be stored. It is a space dedicated to promoting knowledge about the island’s most environmentally significant locations, with a special focus on marine environments. Here, you can learn about resident and migratory birds, intertidal and water column organisms, cetaceans, and hydrothermal vents. It is a prime location for disseminating scientific knowledge, enriching the experience of those visiting the Natural Park. This Center was included in the Guide to Architecture – South and Islands of Portugal, published in 2011; and in the project "Iberian Architectural Heritage Exhibition – LaMIPA," within the scope of the Lisbon Architecture Triennale 2013 – Close, Closer. It has also been referenced and published on various specialized websites and magazines.

Fábrica da Baleia

The Fábrica da Baleia do Boqueirão (Boqueirão Whaling Factory) is located at the northeastern tip of the town of Santa Cruz das Flores. The building’s placement was determined by its purpose, as a sperm whale processing point on the island, situated directly above the port of Boqueirão, at an altitude of about 27 meters. It is a building that stands out in the urban landscape due to its volume and the size of its chimney. It is part of a factory complex that includes the dismantling platform and the slipway, both located on the northern side of the building, consisting of four rectangular bodies, perpendicular to each other, and a cylindrical chimney, totaling an area of about 1850 m2. Built between 1941 and 1944 by the whaling company Reis & Flores, with Francisco Marcelino dos Reis and José Jacinto Mendonça Flores as majority partners, it operated until 1984. Purchased by the Municipal Council of Santa Cruz das Flores shortly after, it served the municipality until 1992 as a material warehouse, locksmith, mechanics, and painting workshop, with the exception of the east wing of the building. This wing, composed of two large rooms and the pump house, contiguous to these, was ceded by the Municipal Council to the Museum of Art and Popular Tradition of the island, for a later installation of the Sea Arts Section. In that year, recovery work on the machinery began, which would last about a year. Despite the first attempt at conservation for museological purposes, the factory remained abandoned for more than 10 years, having received in 1999 the classification of Property of Public Interest (Resolution nº67/99, of April 29). In 2006, a new project for the musealization of the Factory began, which includes the recovery of the machinery and the rehabilitation of the building, with a second floor being added to the west wing and a roof covering an adjacent area, which was originally open-air. The maintenance of the original roof, the masonry walls, and the original concrete structures, as well as the size of the machinery installed here, immediately transport the visitor’s imagination to the days of work in the factory and to the times when whaling was part of the island’s daily life. The inauguration of the museum took place in 2015, under the tutelage of the company Ilhas de Valor S.A, being since 2022 an annex of the Flores Museum. Here the visitor learns about the history of whaling on the island and the entire process of hunting and transforming the sperm whale.

Museu e Auditório Municipal

The Santa Cruz das Flores Cultural Center - Municipal Auditorium is a cozy venue in Santa Cruz das Flores, Portugal. With modern architecture and an auditorium seating 125, it’s perfect for films, plays, and musical shows. There’s also space for permanent exhibitions, temporary art galleries, and a cool café to relax. Visitors love the atmosphere and the acoustics are perfect for listening to great music. Overall, it’s a great place to enjoy culture in this charming town.

Convento de São Boaventura

The Flores Museum was created in 1977 by Regional Legislative Decree No. 25/77/A, under the name of the Ethnography House of Flores Island. This designation was maintained until 1991, when it was renamed Flores Museum by Regional Legislative Decree No. 4/91/A. Its founder and first director was João António Gomes Vieira, a native of Flores, who was primarily responsible for conceiving the collections the Museum currently holds. These collections cover themes such as weaving, dairy products, agriculture, livestock, fishing, whaling, navigation, and sacred art. In 1986, it incorporated the Casa Pimentel de Mesquita, where an exhibition dedicated to linen and and wool spinning technology was installed, in addition to furniture from the 18th to 20th centuries. This house museum operated until 2008, when it began to house the Municipal Library. From 1993, the Museum’s headquarters became the old Convent of São Boaventura, where it remains to this day. In addition to this, the Flores Museum also has the Boqueirão Whaling Factory as an annex.