| Lajes do Pico |
The settlement of Pico started in the year 1460 at Lajes, a small place located on the island’s south coast.
Besides several impressive 17th and 18th century buildings, the town is best known for its large whale processing factory which closed down in 1981.
What to see. Pico’s first church, the Ermida de São Pedro, dates back to the 15th century and is typical of the stark white and black-edged buildings that predominate the island.
Installed in the old boathouse on Rua da Pesqueira, the Museu dos Baleiros (Whaling Museum) features a wide variety of related exhibits ranging from carved whales’ teeth to a magnificent collection of sailing boats.
Nearby. Owing to the island’s former whaling industry, which came to an end in the early 1980s, the best-organised whale-watching excursions in the Azores depart from the shores around Lajes do Pico. Operated in small boats for fast and easy manoeuvrability, the trips are guided by radio messages sent by men scanning the sea from well-positioned lookout posts. Some 20 different species of whale and dolphin can be found in the local waters, including the mighty sperm whale, whose existence has long-been in jeopardy.
Dominating the scenery, Pico’s 2,319-metre-high mountain is in fact the top of the world’s biggest mountain range known as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, measuring 16,100 km long and 805 km wide. |
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| © 2007 Maisturismo |
