Facho Viewpoint

The Facho Viewpoint is located in Serra do Facho (extension of Serra de Santiago), in the town and municipality of Praia da Vitória, on Terceira Island, Azores archipelago. Its name comes from the fact that a fire was initially kept at this point, lit every night with the function of a warning beacon for navigation. It is marked as "11 Faxo" on the "Planta da Bahia da Villa da Praia" (1805).

During the Portuguese Civil War (1828-1834) at Serra do Facho, Pico do Capitão (Porto Martim), Pico das Cruzes (São Sebastião), Pico das Contendas (São Sebastião) and Monte Brasil (Angra do Heroísmo) , the old system of beams (cross-flagged flag signals) was restored by the Liberals, which evolved to the point of being able to send more than 60 different messages in the mid-19th century.

The viewpoint houses the Monument of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, patron saint of the city. The bronze statue by the sculptor from São Miguel Island, Álvaro Raposo de França, is 6 meters high, mounted on a 16-meter pedestal. Accessed by a staircase on the hillside on the city side (ten minutes of the pedestrian climb) or by the road, from its top you can see a magnificent panoramic view of the city and its surroundings, from Serra do Cume to the sandy beach of Praia Victory