In the old center of Vila do Corvo is Casa do Tempo, a building open to visitors that belongs to the Ecomuseu do Corvo. The restored house dates from the 17th or 18th century, and its original design has been preserved. Here, a historic building and content about Corvo’s history and traditions come together.

Casa do Tempo offers audiovisual and multimedia content, including a presentation of the island, a geological and historical timeline, a photo archive, eyewitness accounts, genealogical content, and a documentary. This allows you to explore the island’s history through different media and perspectives, rather than focusing on a single period.

Casa da Memória offers a different perspective. It currently hosts the permanent exhibition “Ilha do Corvo – Marcas de um Passado”. The exhibition uses movable cultural heritage objects related to weaving, agriculture, everyday life, carpentry, and furniture-making to preserve important aspects of the history and cultural memory of the Corvo community. While Casa do Tempo offers multimedia content, the focus here is on objects from the community’s everyday life and crafts.

Townscape and orientation

The Circuito Interpretativo da Vila draws attention to Vila do Corvo’s dense urban layout. Visitors explore its streets and Canadas while listening to residents’ stories about the community. The network of narrow streets and Canadas is therefore as much a part of the experience as the people whose stories accompany the walk.

Casa da Vegia offers another perspective. Opened in 2024, it provides a first view of Vila do Corvo’s old town center from a public area on the Porto da Casa cliff. Casa da Vegia also has a scale model that introduces visitors to the town’s various public areas. The view from the cliff and the model serve different orientation purposes: one looks out over the town center, while the other depicts its public areas to scale.

Geosites, protected area, and cultural heritage

The Cara do Índio trail PR01COR links the Caldeirão and Vila do Corvo geosites and passes through parts of the Costa e Caldeirão do Corvo protected area. This offers a different focus for choosing activities than the exhibitions in town: here, geosites and sections of the protected area are linked by the hiking trail.

Atafona do Lourenço also tells of a former way of life and work. It is the only surviving one of the five animal-powered mills that once existed on Corvo. A rustic grain mill, it was powered by an animal, usually an ox. Its surviving mechanism makes the mill a concrete example of the technology used to process grain.

Visits and cultural activities

Visits to the facilities of Centro de Reabilitação de Aves Selvagens do Corvo are available by prior appointment and are guided. You may be able to observe birds currently undergoing rehabilitation. Whether you can observe any birds therefore depends on which ones are there at the time for rehabilitation.

Pavilhão Multiusos is a visitor-friendly facility of the Ecomuseu do Corvo. It hosts exhibitions, film screenings, theater, talks, congresses, seminars, colloquia, music events, dance, and other sociocultural events. The program thus ranges from exhibitions and stage performances to talks and music.

Music is played at the Festa da Sagrada Família on Corvo, and typical tascas serve festivalgoers snacks and traditional cuisine. Music and food are both part of the festivities, complementing the museums and exhibitions with a culinary perspective on local culture.

Porto da Casa is also a useful landmark for finding your way around the island: it is currently the only port on Corvo used for commercial and recreational purposes.

For an overview of travel options: Corvo.