In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean sits 9 incredible Portuguese islands, the Azores. With steep cliffs and lush vegetation, they are like a tropical paradise that no one knows about. A place for nature lovers and a great place to go hiking. Of all nine of the Azores islands, São Jorge island has some of the best hikes and is on many hikers bucket lists.
Half of the island has thick forest with tiny towns dotted in between with spectacular views of the sea. It is my definition of paradise.
If you are looking to explore this island on foot, these are the top hikes in Sao Jorge. Keep in mind however, that all of the hiking trails on this island are moderate to difficult. There are no easy treks due to the extreme elevation changes across the island, so make sure to bring a good pair of hiking poles! For a trail map head to Azores trails.
Faja de Alem
This is an interesting 4.7 km hike. The people living in this area are still living in the old ways of the island. There are no cars that can get down to the main town and all their supplies are sent down in a basket on cables. It is one of the most interesting places on the island.
The hike is down a steep descent and it is considered a circular trail. Most people took the opposite direction from us, but honestly, I was happy with the direction we took. Though make sure to plan accordingly, as bad weather can make this trail very dangerous.
You will park your car at the Chapel of Santo António and walk through the town of Ermida following the blazes. The trail will veer off to the left next to cattle fields before switchbacking steeply down to Fajã de Além.
The switchbacks are a bit unnerving as you are walking down wet, slick mud and rock with the trail dropping off down a cliff into the ocean.
So, if you have difficulties with heights or tend to suffer from vertigo, you may want to consider sitting this one out or going down the other side and back up that same side to avoid the sheer steepness of this portion of the trail.
When you reach the bottom, you will walk through the paths connecting the few houses and can take some time to stop and eat a lunch that you brought with you. Then you will begin the ascent up and out of the Fajã on the other side.
Here you get sweeping views of the ocean and the Faja as well as the nearby towns, ending at another farm road where you can see the cable system used to transport goods down into the village. From there you will follow the main road back to your car.
Fajã dos Cubres/ Caldeira de Santo Cristo
Our yurt host said that this hike is considered the most beautiful hikes on any of the Azorean islands. I will let you decide for yourself, but it is pretty beautiful.
This is also the only hike considered moderate in difficulty and is not a circular route. You have several options here. Many will park a car at one end and have a taxi drop them off at the other so they can walk the entire 10km linear route. This will go from Serra do Topo, down through Caldeira de Santo Cristo and ending in Faja dos Cubres.
Or, if you do not want to rely on a taxi you can park at Serra do Topo and hike down into Caldeira de Santo Cristo and back the way you came. This is what we did. In my opinion, this was the best part of the trail anyway.
The hike down was fairly easy, with gentle declines and a few switchbacks for the steeper sections. But overall, this part was not overly challenging.
There are significantly more people hiking this trail than some of the others, due to its popularity. Once you reach the Fajã you can check out the lake that abuts the ocean and makes it famous with its clams that are found only in this one lake.
Stop at the first restaurant O Gumes. The other I am told is terrible. This place is the perfect stopping point for a beer and some lunch at the end of the hike down. The clams are horrendously expensive but if you really want to try them be prepared to get a large amount but you’re going to pay around €50.
My opinion? Get the sausage and a sandwich with your beer instead.
Fajã dos Vimes – Lourais – Fajã de São João
I loved this hike, but it was so challenging. In my opinion this was the prettiest hike on the island.
It is linear though, so either drop your car off in Fajã de São João and have a taxi take you back to Fajã dos Vimes or be prepared to hike back.
Fajã dos Vimes, is where you will get the coffee that is grown on the island so its a good place to start to get that little boost of energy before heading off. One of the best things to do here is to get a tour of the coffee plantation, the tour is in Portuguese but somehow we all made it work and it was worth it.
This hike is 9.7km one way. There are significant elevation changes that will challenge your legs. But you will see several waterfalls and cross a suspension bridge. The forest is like disappearing into a jungle. It was spectacular.
It is possible to do this as an out and back. We did it. But make sure you have plenty of water and some food with you. There is a small restaurant in Fajã de São João, but when we arrived it was closed. So maybe call them in advance. When we were there, it was late in the COVID19 pandemic, so it’s possible they were closed due to that.
There is water in Fajã de São João at the church, which is the way it is in most of the towns in the Azores. Where there is a church there is likely to be water. It can get very hot in some of the exposed sections of trail and it’s also very humid when you are enclosed in the forest. So, once again. Bring lots of water.
Other hikes in Sao Jorge
There are several other trails you can check out, but these three are, in my opinion the nicest. You can also continue hiking from Fajã de São João to Serra do Topo, but I will warn you it is pretty much all uphill.
So, if you are looking for a multiday trek, I would recommend starting in Fajã dos Vimes and you can hike all the way to Fajã dos Cubres.
There are also other trails branching off from Fajã de São João if you want to continue along that root as well. With all these options you can always park your car and call a taxi to take you to your starting point.
Concluding Thoughts
If you travel to locations specifically for the hiking and unique nature, Sao Jorge is the island in the Azores you need to visit.
For more information to help plan your trip, check out my Guide to Sao Jorge.
Heading to the Azores? Make sure to grab a copy of my guidebook The Azores: A guide for hikers.
