
Azores Photo Gallery - Faja dos Cubres Hike .
Officially, Sao Jorge has 74 fajas. These are made from earth or lava that slid down the cliffs into the sea, creating new flat land. This 10km hike is fairly easy, heading downhill from Serra do Topo at about 700m, passing Faja da Caldeira de Santo Cristo and finishing at Faja dos Cubres by the sea. The tourist information centre has a list of pre-set taxi hire prices by destination on the island with the drivers' phone numbers on the back. This hike is listed on there at 70 euros for a day hire - dropping you off at the start point and picking you up at the finish line down by the sea a few hours later. The descent is not difficult although it is a dirt path. Having climbed the Pico volcano just a few days earlier, I'm surprised I didn't feel pain during and after this hike. Heading part way downhill, I passed by a house with a few items for sale using the honour system and plenty of herbs naturally growing on the ground. There is still some way to go to reach the faja. That's the first faja of the day - da Caldeira de Santo Cristo. From here on, the walk will be relatively flat with a few short hilly sections along the coast. Leaving Faja da Caldeira de Santo Cristo behind, the uphill sections get a bit more slippery with many small rocks. There is no road leading from the rest of the island into here, although some smaller carts do travel along here due to a resort nearby. Named after a local yellow flower, Faja dos Cubres is a bit more unique since there's a lake here as well. Life is slow here. People used to come to live in the fajas during the warmer parts of the year from the highlands, taking everything they own as well as their cattle down the steep trails. The driver picked us up at Faja dos Cubres and stopped at a viewpoint on the way back uphill towards Velas for a final look at today's accomplishment. Sao Jorge's coastal regions are very rugged, green, and beautiful.

Azores Photo Gallery - Faja dos Cubres Hike

Officially, Sao Jorge has 74 fajas. These are made from earth or lava that slid down the cliffs into the sea, creating new flat land.

This 10km hike is fairly easy, heading downhill from Serra do Topo at about 700m, passing Faja da Caldeira de Santo Cristo and finishing at Faja dos Cubres by the sea.
The tourist information centre has a list of pre-set taxi hire prices by destination on the island with the drivers' phone numbers on the back. This hike is listed on there at 70 euros for a day hire - dropping you off at the start point and picking you up at the finish line down by the sea a few hours later.

The descent is not difficult although it is a dirt path. Having climbed the Pico volcano just a few days earlier, I'm surprised I didn't feel pain during and after this hike.

Heading part way downhill, I passed by a house with a few items for sale using the honour system and plenty of herbs naturally growing on the ground. There is still some way to go to reach the faja.

That's the first faja of the day - da Caldeira de Santo Cristo.

From here on, the walk will be relatively flat with a few short hilly sections along the coast.

Leaving Faja da Caldeira de Santo Cristo behind, the uphill sections get a bit more slippery with many small rocks. There is no road leading from the rest of the island into here, although some smaller carts do travel along here due to a resort nearby.

Named after a local yellow flower, Faja dos Cubres is a bit more unique since there's a lake here as well. Life is slow here. People used to come to live in the fajas during the warmer parts of the year from the highlands, taking everything they own as well as their cattle down the steep trails.

The driver picked us up at Faja dos Cubres and stopped at a viewpoint on the way back uphill towards Velas for a final look at today's accomplishment. Sao Jorge's coastal regions are very rugged, green, and beautiful.