Sao Jorge Island Azores Velas, Portugal
7
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
Lindblad Expeditions (6 Cruises)
National Geographic Orion
6 Cruises
Ponant (1 Cruises)
Frequently Asked Questions
Off Velas, the main town, tucked at the foot of the south coast escarpments. Passengers come ashore at the small harbour, then pass through the Portão do Mar, the sea gate opening onto the central square.
Yes, straight away. Velas reveals itself in an hour's stroll: quiet lanes, the parish church, tidy gardens, white houses framed in basalt. The fajãs and viewpoints, however, need a taxi or an excursion.
A small coastal plain formed by a lava flow or a landslide, wedged between cliff and ocean. The island has more than forty: some hold a few houses and plots of yam or coffee, others just a chapel.
Fajã do Ouvidor, on the north coast, is the most accessible. It holds the Poça de Simão Dias, a deep natural pool ringed by volcanic rock, one of the most striking places to swim in the archipelago.
Because the 1808 eruption buried the church: only the bell tower still emerges, standing among the vines like a warning in stone. Around it, natural pools invite a swim and red windmills watch over the shore.
Because the high pastures, swept by Atlantic mist, give a milk that becomes an aged wheel of clean, sometimes sharp character, protected by a designation of origin. Shops in Velas sell it by the piece: a wedge with fresh bread makes the snack.
Yes, the island has some of the finest trails in the Azores, often descending to the fajãs. Watch the trap: pick a short route and measure the climb back carefully against the last tender. Going up always takes longer than coming down.
Yes, in clear weather. From the roadstead the eye reaches the cone of Pico, set on the horizon across the channel. As everywhere in the Azores, the clouds decide: the view opens and closes through the day.
A minibus excursion to the northern viewpoints. It's the surest way to get the whole picture without effort: the viewpoints along the north road take in several fajãs with no long walk.
The euro and Portuguese. Cards work in the town's shops and restaurants; keep cash for the fajãs and small producers. English is understood by guides, less so elsewhere.
