Towns & Villages in the Azores

TOWNS & VILLAGES ON FAIAL

Almoxarife

Almoxarife nestles in a picturesque valley with a delightful seafront and black sand beach. There are two restaurants, a cafe and a municipal camp site. The centre of Praia do Almoxarife has a recently restored church, bandstand and children's play area.

Capelo

Capelo is a quiet village stretching from the main "Rua Nacional" along a secondary road leading to Capelinhos, the site of the 1957 eruption with it's spectacular scenery. It has a church, a school, a café, an equitation centre and a volcano museum dedicated to the eruption. There is also an old whaling lookout post, which is still used to help the whale watching boats locate whales and dolphins.

Castelo Branco

Castelo Branco, meaning "White Castle", sits on the south coast of Faial , stretching east to west, mostly along the "Rua Nacional". The airport sits near the coast, between the main part of the village and the port of Castelo Branco. As the planes arrive and depart over the sea there is very little noise nuisance caused to houses in the vicinity. A large white rock juts proudly out into the sea at the western-most end of the village. Here a small white fort once existed which gave the village it's name.

Cedros

This village, in the northern coast, was the place the first inhabitants settled, coming from Terceira island in around 1455. It's name is thought to derive from the cedar trees found there. Faial's Dairy Cooperative turns Cedros into the agricultural and dairy production centre of the island. All the milk, cheese and butter from the island is produced here. Known as "sunny" Cedros as often the prevailing westerlies build cloud up on the opposite side of the island, leaving Cedros in the sunshine.

Espalamaca

Espalamaca (from the Flemish for "needle tip") straddles the ridge to the east of Horta. Looking inland Faial is spread before you, right up to the crater rim. To the northeast is the valley and coast of Praia da Almoxarife.

From the viewpoint on top of the headland is a superb view of the town of Horta on the one side, the magnificent perspective of the channel and the neighbouring islands of Pico, with it's majestic volcanic cone, and Sao Jorge. On a clear day Graciosa can also be seen.

Feteira

The parish of Feteira is located on the southern coast of the island, covering a large area over a smooth slope down to the coast, which is named Laginha. This is a pleasant area with willow trees and a picnic area, as well as a disco! The coastline, in this area, features dramatic headlands and arches of black rock, called Pontas Furadas. In the village is the Church of the Holy Ghost dating from 1864. There is also a small quay and some natural pools. On the upper part of the parish is the Atalaia square, where there is a bandstand and bars where the local farmers gather.

Flamengos

This is the only village located in the inner part of the island, and owes it name to the Flemish settlers, who housed themselves there due to the presence of a stream. There is a bridge across it dating from 1902. The Church of Our Lady of Light dates from 1940, but there has been a chapel on the site since the 15th century. This parish was one of the most affected by the 1998 earthquake and most of it's buildings are currently under reconstruction.

The Quinta Sao Lourenco is a large farm complex, including a natural park, a small botanical garden and several houses owned by the agricultural and forest council services, where different kinds of domestic animals are kept. Every three years the Regional Cattle Fair is held here, which also includes equestrian and canine displays and many stalls.

Horta

Horta is the main town on Faial, with its marina full of colourful paintings left by visiting yachts. The famous "Peter's Café Sport" is the perfect place to stop for coffee or a cold drink, where sailors swap tales of adventure on the high seas.

The town of Horta features many beautiful old buildings, many of which have been recently restored to their former glory, including the Faial Theatre House, first opened in 1856. The gardens, with their swan lake and bandstand are a pleasant place to rest and nearby is the walled municipal marketplace. Throughout the older part of town the cobbled streets, with their decorated pavements, are a delight to be seen.

During the first week in August Horta hosts the annual Sea Week, or Semana do Mar. This involves many sailing races, exhibitions, street stalls, concerts and folk dancing and singing.

Lomba

The village of Lomba sits above Espalamaca, even higher on the ridge and rolling down each side towards Conçeição in the south and Almoxarife in the north. To the west is the valley of Flamengos, as the ridge stretches NNW towards the crater. There is a small chapel, a couple of cafés and a restaurant. Horta is 5 minutes away, down the hill.

Norte Pequeno

Norte Pequeno sits on the north coast of the western-most part of Faial. It is a very quiet, peaceful village with a close community. There is a church, village hall, café and a shop. Nearby is the spectacular scenery of the 1957 eruption site at Capelinhos.

Pedro Miguel

The beautiful green valley of Pedro Miguel is filled with cattle grazing, forests and corn fields. There is a small quay, two small beaches and barbecue and picnic areas. Many lanes meander between the fields, offering delightful walks through the countryside.

Praia da Norte

Literally meaning "Beach of the North", this area has, in the past, been dramatically affected by the volcanic nature of the island, with the population being greatly reduced during the Capelinhos eruptions in 1957. Now many returning immigrants have villas down in the faja - the lower area behind a beautiful black sand beach, with steep cliffs as a backdrop.

Ribeira Funda

Ribeira Funda is primarily a farming area, with a small concentration of houses close to the church. It is situated in the north of the island, between Cedros and Praia da Norte, with a north-west facing coastline of cliffs.

Salão

Salão is high above the coast on the north-east side of the island, between Espalhafatos and Cedros. There are two small ports, used by small fishing boats, which are winched from the sea up steep stone causeways. Large rock pools provide delightful natural swimming pools. It has a a village hall, cafés, a shop and a church.

TOWNS & VILLAGES ON PICO

Madalena

The trading and communications centre of the island, its position facing Faial and the town of Horta has made it, since the initial settlement period, the port that ensures links with the neighbouring island. Picturesque coasting vessels connect the two fishing ports. There are frequent daily connections with Horta by ferry-boat. Facing the town lie the curious islets "Deitado" (Lying Down) and "Em pe" (Standing), where many sea birds have their nests. Another interesting feature of these rocks is that, viewed from a certain position on the sea, north of the rocks, the gap between them resembles a statue of the Virgin Mary.

Places to visit: Church of Santa Maria Madalena, the Town Hall and the wine Museum set up in the former Carmelite convent.

At Areia Larga a traditional summer resort, one may find the largest cannery in the Azores and a co-operative wine cellar.