Carlos Machado Museum

Museu Carlos Machado is by far the biggest and most well known museum in the Azores. Everyone here knows it, and most of us went there at least once on a school trip.

The museum covers a bit of everything. Science, biology, wildlife, religion, art. It’s not hyper focused, but that’s also its strength. You get a broad overview of the island, its history, and its natural world. The wildlife section is especially memorable if, like me, you grew up visiting this place as a kid.

Important reality check.

If you’re coming from a big European city with massive museums, lower your standards a bit. This is not the Louvre, and it doesn’t try to be. For an island museum, it does a very good job.

The building itself is a big part of the experience. It sits inside a former monastery, right in the city center. Even if you’re not a museum person, walking through the space alone is worth it.

Rui's Visit Log