The “faia-das-ilhas”, the flower that gave Faial its name, was the only company of the first settler of the island, a hermit from the kingdom of Portugal.

On a summer day, and already tired of a long isolation, he received with joy some visitors from the island of Terceira.

When they left, the old man offered them a sketch of the boat, humbly recorded on one of the stones in the bay, in a gesture of gratitude and hope for a safe journey.

Over time, this story became a legendary tradition for the world’s sailors: everyone who decorated the jetty with a drawing of their boat would be promised a safe journey to their destination.

The man-made Marina da Horta, a true open-air world art gallery, was created in 1986.

Overlooking the majestic Pico mountain, this painted harbor is today a reference for the entire North Atlantic and one of the most iconic places of tradition in the Azores.