Faial Tourist Guide

Upon your arrival on Faial, you’ll find the lively port of Horta with its many yachts, a welcoming sight. This is the most vibrant city of the whole archipelago. Legend has it that everyone has to leave their mark on the walls of the port in order to complete their journey successfully. Visitors and stoppers-by are therefore greeted with a colourful marina filled with paintings designed by every seafarer that has stopped here.

This small, picturesque town has many architectural marvels for you to visit. The São Salvador Church, the Nossa Senhora do Carmo church, the St. Francis church (integrated with the “Arte Sacra” Museum and the Horta Museum) are just a few.

The irregular landscape is typical on these islands, providing high hills from which to enjoy the magnificent views. Climb up to the chapel of “Nossa Senhora do Pilar” to overlook the city of Horta, the south part of the island and the impressive Pico Island, which gets its name from the tallest peak (pico) in Portugal. The Monte da Guia offers gorgeous views over Faial and Pico. Go down to the Porto Pim, where you’ll find a beautiful bay with a wonderful beach to enjoy the sunny days of the Azores.

Faial is different from the other islands of the archipelago due to the impressive craters covered in green plants, the characteristic churches and buildings of the main cities, the breathtaking views over the rest of the archipelago and of the bays, but the life of Horta and the numerous activities you can practise on the island are what truly sets this location apart from the others. Your visit to the island is only complete with a stop at Peter’s Café Sport. It is the most famous bar on the travel itinerary of thousands of people whose life is connected to the sea. Since 1918, this bar has been in the hands of the Azevedo family. Inside, the bar is decorated with a nautical theme and a sculpture of a whale is found on the outside. Spend some time here absorbing the international atmosphere and take home a souvenir.

Around the island, but mainly in Horta, there are many opportunities to try snorkelling or scuba diving. You can dive with your group or adventure out on your own. The sea life here is extremely diverse and the underwater world with caves and different seabed formations will certainly surprise you. You may be lucky and see some dolphins underwater! If not, there is also the opportunity to go out on a boat excursion to look out for dolphins and whales. Whales are more commonly spotted during springtime, although they can be seen throughout the whole year. This has proved to be one of the main attractions of the island due to the magnificent experience and thrill it all involves.

Faial is certainly a lively island, one that will not fail to surprise you both on land and under the water!