São Mateus da Calheta
Information
São Mateus da Calheta is a lovely village situated in the southern coast of the wonderful Terceira Island, on the greenish Azores Archipelago.
Located nearby the World Heritage town, Angra do Heroísmo, the peaceful São Mateus da Calheta has graciously maintained alive its traditions of a calm rural and fishing place.
This is a charming village, rich in historical, architectonic, social and natural heritage, quite close to the rich Angra do Heroísmo and with a easy coast, which led to the many Pirate attacks throughout the centuries. Therefore, on the 16th century several coastal fortifications were built, such as the Maré, the Má Ferramenta, the Grande, the Biscoitinho, the Terreiro, the Barreiro, the Igreja and the Negrito Forts. Nowadays most of these fortifications either disappeared or are currently ruined.
São Mateus da Calheta is proud of its religious heritage with monnuments such as the Parish Church dated from 1911 and its ancestor, the Velha (Old) Church, situated next to the coast, nowadays in ruins, and also the many Chapels such as the Nossa Senhora da Candelária, São Tomás da Vila Nova, Nossa Senhora das Mercês, Santo António dos Milagres, São João Baptista, São Diogo and São Vicente and also the Nossa Senhora da Luz Chapel.
Also quite interesting are the Divine Holy Spirit and Cantinho Empires, dated from the 19th century.
Also quite important until the 1970’s was the Whale hunting inheritance in São Mateus da Calheta. In the coastal area of Negrito was once an important Whale hunting headquarters as well as a factory dedicated to the production of whale related products. From this heritage there are still some embarkations maintained in exhibition in the Botes Baleeiros House in the Fishing Dock, among other legacies.