The Azores are a perfect destination if you enjoy hiking. Every island has its own distinct features. Faial is known most for its harbour, Pico is home to black volcanic rock and São Jorge has distinct coastal features called fajãs. In other words, it’s the perfect place for my first hike. I opted for the route called PR01 SJO (what’s in a name?) because it starts from the top of a mountain and works its way down to sea level. You can enjoy beautiful views and refreshing waterfalls on the way. In this post, I’ll share my experiences from the hike.
Fajãs
First things first: What’s a fajã? These coastal features can be found on the Azores, Madeira and also on the Canary Islands (where they are called fajanas).
Fajãs are created from collapsing cliffs or lava flows and are identifiable along the coast as flat surfaces. They look a little bit like peninsulas. The best way to see them is from the top.
Route: PR01 SJO
The route is about 10 km long. It begins in the Eolic Park of Serra do Topo, it passes by Caldeira de Santo Cristo and finishes at Fajã dos Cubres.
The walk starts near a regional road at Serra do Topo. There are almost no roads along this route though, because you head to a land road straightaway. This road is edged by hydrangeas and goes along the summit of the hills. The best way to reach the starting point is by taxi or by car. There is a parking lot at the start, but then you’d have to take a taxi back there from Fajã dos Cubres.
I was incredibly lucky, because the hills were covered in a thick fog when I started the hike. Luckily, the sky cleared almost immediately and it uncovered the beautiful views and dried the road which is important on a downhill hike.
I found the trail to be incredibly clear. It runs all the way down the hill over dirt roads. Proceed carefully, even if it’s dry it’s still slippery and there are no barriers.
I loved taking a little detour on the right to the Cascata Pequena where I took a refreshing dip into the welcoming icy waters of this waterfall. I didn’t wear my bikini for nothing.
After the waterfall the hike will get a bit easier, because in just a few minutes you’ll reach the coast. The first town is called Santo Cristo and is home to a lovely restaurant called O Borges where I enjoyed a delicious lunch (hamburger!) and refreshments. Santo Cristo is all the more special because it’s located on one of the most beautiful fajãs of the island and can only be reached by foot.
From then on you have to walk up and down small, but still slippery hills from town to town while enjoying the fajãs on the way until you reach the parking lot of Fajã dos Cubres near the Nossa Senhora de Lourdes church.
Use the website Trails by Visit Azores for more information on this and other hikes.
Stats:
Distance: 9.5 km
Moving time: 5 hours
Total time: 6 hours
My Experience
This hike is basically a steep descent from 690 meters down to sea level. The guide advised me to wear appropriate hiking boots. I only had my Teva sandals with me, which he called unfit for the walk. I agree with him on rainy days, because it would’ve been easy to slide all the way down the slopes. It was a clear day so the dirt was not that slippery.
Downhill is not my thing though. My whole body cramps up because I’m scared of slipping. If you’re the same as me, don’t attempt this hike. If you do, make sure you’re not alone so you can hold on to people. I also couldn’t walk for a whole week after this hike, because my knees hurt like crazy. I don’t train for hikes and a 700 meter descent is not easy on the knees.
All-in-all it’s a beautiful hike, and I’m happy I did it. The views are truly insane, and the fact that you can take a refreshing dip in a waterfall (something which the other hikes don’t offer) makes this an incredible route.
Where to Stay
I enjoyed my stay at Hotel Sao Jorge Garden, because it has a pool and it was located a few minutes from the town centre of Velas. Sao Jorge’s capital. There are plenty of other options in the town. You can check with the Post de Turisme in town how to arrange taxis for the hike.
Conclusion
My next post will focus more on what to do when you’re on São Jorge for two days.
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