The settlement of the western portion of the island, that includes the parish of Serreta, began at the end of the 15th century, when uncultivated lands along the flanks of the Santa Bárbara massif were distributed by João Vaz Corte-Real, then Captain-donatário in Angra.

The administrative and religious centre of this region then concentrated on the Church of Santa Bárbara, which was established in 1489, and encompassed the communities from Cruz das Duas Ribeiras until Biscoito da Serreta.

It was a border region of the parish of São Roque dos Alteres, and populated initially in the area of Ribeira das Catorze by peoples living in the settlement nucleus of Santa Bárbara.

While the rest of the southwest coast developed around 1510 (except for a few zones, such as Fajã), the territory of Serreta was generally settled much later, during the middle of the 17th century.

The poor soils, over pumice (the Portuguese: bagacina branca of Serreta), the altitude and exposure to southwestern winds, made the lands inhospitable and most unproductive on the island.