Understanding the importance of the whaling industry on the island of Santa Maria requires a visit to its main hub, which was established at Ponta do Castelo, an anchorage on the southeastern part of the island, where sperm whales were abundant.
To start, the Museum of Santa Maria is a must-visit for anyone who would like to take a “journey to the past” and experience what it was like to live in a traditional azorean house, since this space still preserves much of its typical layout. Inside, among different sections and objects, we can learn about the various trades, daily life habits and economic activities in the region.
Next, we visit the Estação Baleeira da Ponta do Castelo, the most isolated whaling complex in the Azores, accessed via a walking trail along a cliff. We descend to the harbour and, in this magical place, we can imagine the bustle of times gone by. Despite the marks left by time, we find numerous remains of infrastructure that attest to the importance this whaling complex once had: the Castelo dormitories, the old boat house, the new boat house and warehouse/offices, the hauling ramp, the cutting platform, and the former boiler house.
