Panoramic view of one of the three small harbours of the island capital, used by whalers throughout part of the 20th century. The whaling factory is shown on the left side of the picture. It was in operation between 1944 and the early 1980s, and was converted into a museum in 2015. Access to the sea is generally difficult, as the town has been built on a lava delta eroded by the sea, resulting in steep cliffs on all sides. Therefore, the main harbour of the island is located in Lajes das Flores.