» Seafood and fish, with crabs, slipper lobsters, swordfish, tuna fish, Fish Broth and fish fillets with ferrado sauce.  Other recipes include the morcelas de porco (pork blood sausages) and the molha de carne (marinated beef).

» Sweets - fofas (cakes) and the rosquilhas à moda do Faial (twisted cookies).

It is believed that the discovery of Faial Island was made in the first half of the 15th century, and initially the Island was called in some atlases of the time “Insula de Ventura”.

People came to live in Faial Island in the beginning of 1460, settling in the area of Cedros, having left for the most part the north of Portugal.  Sometime later, the Flemish arrived, and concentrated their population in a valley that today is known as the Flamengos.

In the 19th century, a time of opposition between liberals and absolutists, the people of Faial Island sided with the Liberals.  In 1832, King Pedro IV, the spokesperson for the liberal cause went to Faial Island as a way of thanking its people’s support.  In the following year, Horta was declared a city by King Pedro IV, in recognition to the people of Faial Island.  The construction of Horta’s docks was initiated in 1876, and quickly became an important port of call for the ships that crossed the Atlantic Ocean.

In 1919 Faial Island was used as a point of scale to the first airplane that carried through the passage of the Atlantic. Its geographic position was an essential stop for Pan American Airlines, as well as its submarine intercontinental station for the French, English, Italians, Germans and Americans.

Also due to its geographic location, Faial Island played a very important role in the strategic plans of the Allies during the Second World War.

In 1957, a volcano erupted just 1km away from the coast, near a small rock called Capelinhos, which became a solid ash island, and later joined Faial Island through an isthmus, known today as Ponta dos Capelinhos.

» Rocha da Fajã Trail - it starts and finishes in Praia do Norte and passes by areas classified as Places of Collective Interest and Areas of Special Protection.  The track goes down to Fajã da Praia do Norte, a “fajã” (small rocky platform at base of cliff) formed initially by debris and later molded by lava, due to the eruption of  Cabeço de Fogo.  This trail passes through fields and bushes of Incense, Beech, Cryptomeria (Japanese cedar) and Eucryphia cordifolia of great dimensions.  During the trail we pass by the fajã beach, ideal for surfing.

» Horta is the urban center of the island and a port of shelter for many recreational yachts that cross the Atlantic Ocean.  The city has a colored marina, because of the paintings left by sailors as proof of their passage through the island.

» The North coast of the island has some beautiful sights, such as the Almoxarife’s beach and the Costa Brava viewpoint.

» Ponta dos Capelinhos is without a doubt one of the main tourist attractions of Faial: it is a unique phenomenon in the archipelago, located in the extreme western point of the island, where you can witness the effects of the volcanic eruption of 1957/58, a blanket of ashes that has sunken all signs of human presence, except for the old lighthouse, which with time has risen from the black ashes and contrasts with the blue ocean.

» Semana do Mar Festival (the Week of the Sea), which takes place in the first week of August with several activities related to the sea, with cultural events and the much appreciated “barraquinhas” (small tents) that offer the best regional cuisine.

» Festas do Espiríto Santo (Holy Ghost Festivals) are a part of the Azorean identity, also very significant in Faial, and are celebrated all around the island, where you can taste the well-known Holy Spirit soup and see the colorful ceremonies.

Faial Island is a privileged center for the observation of Whales and Dolphins of different species, due to its geographical location, in the center of the archipelago, close to Pico Island, in front of a corridor of passage for cetaceans between islands, as well as other marine species.

There are Whale Watching companies on Faial Island, specialized in creating unforgettable moments with these giants of the seas.

» Bicycle rides.

» Paragliding.

» Fishing and big game fishing, with the possibility of fishing swordfish and tuna.

» Sailing in recreational yachts, agreeable due the structural and geographical
conditions that make this island a mandatory port of call in the Atlantic Ocean.

» Practice surfing, scuba hunting and diving.

» Speleology (cave exploration).