Since the 19th century, as in Flores, Corvo was visited by American whaling boats that stopped to stock up on fresh supplies and recruit manpower. This contact was the reason that ultimately boosted the whaling activity on the island. However, before getting down to explore this theme, we must firstly understand the specificities of this very unique territory: Corvo Island.
We begin our tour with a visit to the Corvo Ecomuseum – Casa do Tempo, a museum that introduces us to the unique way of life of the people of Corvo, the history of the community, and the cultural, natural, historical, and scenic heritage—both tangible and intangible—of this small island.
We continue our tour to the Boqueirão Port launching ramp, which was used during the industrial whaling era by the Florentine whaling company Reis & Flores, Lda. This ramp offered the advantage of quick access to sperm whales sighted near Corvo, which, once hunted, were towed to the Boqueirão Factory on Flores for processing. Today, it is used by tour operators to embark and disembark passengers.
We proceed to the Baleeiro Boats' House, designation attributed to the Corvo Tourist Office, built in pine wood, in order to recapture the layout of the old whaling boathouses of Capelinhos, on the island of Faial.
We ended our visit at the Porto Novo boat ramp, where, in 1980, the six boats belonging to three Corvina fishing companies were moored, and from where one can enjoy one of the island’s most beautiful views, marked by its windmills standing practically right by the sea.
