Boat Tours to Fajã dos Cubres

São Jorge is a long, narrow island, and most of its life is lived on the plateau at the top of steep cliffs. The fajãs, the small flat platforms of land at the foot of the cliffs, are the island's most distinctive feature, and one of the best ways to see them is from the sea. A boat trip along the coast gives a view that cannot be had from the viewpoints above, with the full height of the cliffs rising behind each fajã and the green slopes broken by waterfalls and ravines. Fajã dos Cubres is one of the most photogenic, with its lagoon, scattered houses, and tiny church framed by a wall of vegetation.

The fajãs were formed in two ways. Some came from lava flows that poured over the cliffs and cooled at the sea, building a flat shelf of new land, and others were built up from debris of landslides that fell from the cliff face over time. The result is a series of low, fertile platforms, often with a freshwater spring, where people were able to farm, fish, and in some places grow grapes and coffee. Seen from the water, you can understand how isolated these settlements were before roads and tracks were cut into the cliffs, and why boats were once the main way to reach them.

Tours typically leave in the afternoon, in the calmer period of the day, and involve a cruise of a couple of hours along the coast on a small boat or inflatable. The route includes a close view of the sea cliffs, with their layers of lava flows and ash, and of caves and arches carved by the waves that can only be reached from the water. Seabirds nest on the rock faces, and dolphins are sometimes seen offshore. Some itineraries combine the boat trip with a walk or a paddle along part of the coast, and the exertion is moderate. Conditions in the Atlantic are changeable, so trips depend on the weather and the swell, and may be cancelled at short notice.

Bookings should be made in advance, and visitors should wear warm, waterproof clothing, sun protection, and shoes with a good grip for getting on and off the boat. Details of departure points, times, and prices change with the season, so check with the operator.

The trip suits nature lovers, photographers, and travellers who want to see the island from a new angle. It makes a good complement to the viewpoint and the coastal paths, and to a visit to the fajã itself.