The first colonists of Pico Island settled in Lajes do Pico, the Island’s oldest municipality, where Fernão Álvares Evangelho docked with his dog and remained on his own on the island for a very long time, as a tempest forced the caravels to return to sea.
It is known that this area, South of Pico Mountain, was occupied by people who came from Terceira Island. There were also settlers who had migrated from the northern parts of the country, especially Porto.
The century-old whaling base, Lajes do Pico, was designated Village on 14 May 1501. One curiosity: in Lajes Parish we find a Fransiscan relic, the chapel of S. Peter, built by the first settlers on the location where these brave men of the King docked; the island’s first temple.
One also must mention the convent of S. Francis, which houses the Town-hall and the Department of Finance, and was for many years a place of learning, a private boarding school and later a public school. (The church of Our Lady of Conception stands right next to it).
This building also accommodates the printing-office of the periodical "O Dever", one of the oldest in Azores.
Currently, this village has a very pleasant urban design: old stone houses with long balconies, remenants of a wealthy past.
When American whalers arrived in Azorean waters in the late 18th century, they introduced a new element in the local economy: whale hunting. Industrial processing of whale meat became one of the main activities for the next two hundred years.
This village endulges in being a point of attraction for many tourists, who come to visit the Whalers Museum, the only one of the kind in Portugal, displaying a collection of hundreds of objects made from whale’s tooth and bone, besides the tools used in non-industrial fishing.
It also encompases an important scrimshaw collection and a small library with Portuguese, American and English bibliography, as well as maps and copies of logue books from old whaler boats. The Museum is accommodated in the old Boat Houses and is visited by both Portuguese and foreign tourists.
The capital of the municipality of Lajes do Pico is the city with the same name, which includes Matriz da Santíssima Trindade parish. The municipality is also composed of São João, Ribeiras, Calheta do Nesquim, Piedade and Ribeirinha parishes.
History tells that Fernão Álvares Evangelho was the first man to set foot on land in Pico Island, and he entered through Lajes. The mother-church is dedicated to the Holy Trinity. It was built in the 20th century, replacing the old church that was in ruins. The architectural setting of Largo General Lacerda Machado square, built in the 17th and 18th centuries, is quite worth the visit.
Located on the island’s central plateau, Lagoa do Paul is part of a nucleus of small lagoons surrounded by primitive vegetation of Pico Island. Mistério de São João is covered in dense forest, originating from marine eruption which joined the island. Furna da Malha, which is around 2 meters long, is a curious geological phenomenon. In Matos Souto park, near Piedade parish, covered in rare tree species, is the head-office of the Nature Conservation Services of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.
In this municipality, our visitors find a pleasant and comfortable tourist village, Aldeia da Fonte, located in Silveira, the parish of Lajes, surrounded by trees, which offer its inhabitants comforting tranquility in a dream cenario.
As leisure activity, tourists may strole in the streets, enjoy the enchanting landscapes and dive in the calm and paradise seas. One of the most common leisure activities is whale watching.
The village is endowed with an enormous religious heritage. The feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, celebrated on the last Sunday of August, acquired such great projection that in the last couple of years, it became known as the Whalers’ Week, attracting many young people due to its diversified programme.
This is the municipality of illustrious figures, such as the historian Lacerda Machado, Monsenhor Pereira da Silva, D.José Vieira Alvernaz and D. João Paulino A.Castro (Bishop of Macau). This is also the place of birth of Garcia Goulart and the ever present Dias de Melo.
Town Hall of Lajes
+351 292 679 700
'LagesBelaVista'
+351 292 672 027 
