Graciosa's whaling heritage: the whaleboat shed, the lookout on Monte da Ajuda and whale watching today

Graciosa caught its last whale in 1982. What is left of the hunt fits into one morning in and around Santa Cruz: the shed where the company kept its boats, the whale lookout on the hill above the town, and a rock on the coast shaped like a whale. If the sea is calm, you can go out afterwards to look for live ones.

The Barracão dos Botes Baleeiros is at Rua Pedro Roberto Dias da Silva 65 in Santa Cruz da Graciosa. It belonged to the Companhia Baleeira da Graciosa, the island's whaling company, and is now a branch of the Museu da Graciosa. Its exhibition is the whaleboat Restinga, complete with its gear, and the tools that went with the hunt.

The Azores museum network publishes these hours:

• 1 October to 31 March: 9:30 to 17:00
• 1 April to 30 September: 10:00 to 17:30
• Closed on Mondays

We found no admission price. The hours are the ones published when we checked in October 2026. Call the museum on +351 295 712 429 before you go, since a small branch can be shut when staff are short.

The main museum building is at Largo Conde de Simas 17, a short walk away. It covers farming and wine rather than whaling; our Santa Cruz walk describes it.

Azorean whaling depended on the vigia, a lookout on high ground who watched the sea and signalled the crews when he saw a whale. On Graciosa you can see one on Monte da Ajuda, the 129-metre volcanic cone behind Santa Cruz. The hermitage of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda on top is a 16th-century chapel built like a small fort, and the back left corner of its courtyard holds a whale lookout dated 1959.

From there you look out over the north-east coast and straight down on the town and its harbour, which is why the lookout was put there. The hill has two more chapels and the best view of Santa Cruz.

Drive west along the north coast to the Ponta da Barca lighthouse, near the hamlet of Bom Jesus. It was first lit on 1 February 1930 and has worked automatically since 1999. The tower is 23 metres tall and stands on cliffs 24 metres above the sea.

Right by the lighthouse, a block of basalt that the sea has not worn away has the outline of a whale. It is called the Ilhéu da Baleia, the whale islet. It is geology, not whaling history, but it is the obvious last stop on this route. Our geosites tour explains how it formed.

More than 20 species of whales and dolphins are seen in Azorean waters, about a third of all the species there are, and the blue whale can be seen a few miles off the coast almost all year. Whale watching here has been regulated by regional law since 1999.

On Graciosa the choice is small. The one company the regional tourism board lists for cetacean watching is Gracipescas, at Rua Serpa Pinto 1 in Santa Cruz, in business since 2001. It also runs boat and kayak tours, snorkelling, diving and sport fishing. Its website did not load in October 2026, and we found no published prices, trip lengths or timetable, so contact the company directly: +351 295 732 530 or +351 916 053 023, gracipescasturismo@sapo.pt.

• Book when you arrive, not on your last day. A small operator sails only with enough passengers and a workable sea, and one windy day can cancel a trip.
• Ask what you are likely to see that month and how long the trip lasts.
• If whales are the main reason for your trip, add a day on Pico or Faial, where far more boats go out.

Be at the whaleboat shed when it opens (9:30 in winter, 10:00 in summer, never on a Monday). Go up Monte da Ajuda to the lookout, then drive out to Ponta da Barca for the whale rock and the lighthouse, and come back to Santa Cruz for lunch. If you have a boat booked, take it in the afternoon, after you have stood where the lookout stood.

When did whaling end on Graciosa? In 1982, when the last whale was caught. Whale watching in the Azores has been regulated by regional law since 1999.

Where can I see a whaleboat on Graciosa? In the Barracão dos Botes Baleeiros, Rua Pedro Roberto Dias da Silva 65, Santa Cruz. It holds the whaleboat Restinga with its gear and is closed on Mondays.

Can I go whale watching from Graciosa? Yes, with Gracipescas in Santa Cruz, but trips depend on numbers and weather and no prices are published. Phone ahead and book early in your stay.

Where is the old whale lookout? On Monte da Ajuda above Santa Cruz, in the courtyard of the hermitage of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda. It is dated 1959.