Tourism

Miradouro da Caveira

The Miradouro da Caveira is a viewpoint on Flores Island, in the Azores archipelago, whose name derives from an intriguing legend. According to the legend, a shipwrecked man named Demétrio, who lived on the island for several years, was a disbeliever and considered a heretic. After his death, a shining skull began to appear at the location of the current viewpoint. Local inhabitants believed this was Demétrio’s soul, unable to find peace due to his heretical views. To help his soul, they began to celebrate masses in his name until the apparition ceased. Thus, the viewpoint became known as "Miradouro da Caveira" (Skull Viewpoint).

Miradouro Pico da Casinha

Visit the Miradouro Pico da Casinha on Flores Island! Enjoy the panoramic view it offers, taking in the serene sea and the green mountains. This beautiful viewpoint is easily accessible by car and is located in Santa Cruz das Flores, on the ER2-2. You’ll enjoy a unique spot to admire the ocean, revel in the tranquility and fresh air, far from the chaos of cities. You won’t want to miss this magnificent experience! Your trip will be more complete by visiting Flores Island and admiring the Miradouro Pico da Casinha. Give yourself this opportunity and come visit!

Miradouro Arcos Ribeira da Cruz

Come visit the imposing Miradouro Arcos Ribeira da Cruz, located on the beautiful Flores Island, in the municipality of Lajes das Flores, for a moment of contemplation of nature and surprising panoramic views. At its top, the sculpted arches of waters merging into the ocean frame a horizon worth remembering. To your right, the sea unfolds, deepening into infinity, and to your left, a golden sandy beach. The possibility of arriving by car makes your visit easier. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to enjoy one of the most stunning places on the island. This is the perfect experience to invigorate mind and body and green your soul.

Igreja Nossa Senhora de Lurdes

The Church of Nossa Senhora de Lourdes stands over a small farming community on Flores Island, in the Azores, Portugal. The church was built on top of a hill in 1909, in this agricultural community north of Santa Cruz das Flores. Both the exterior, flanked by two towers, and the interior are very simple, typical of churches in smaller Azorean communities.

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.