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ItalianoA Fajã dos Vimes is located on the south coast of the Island of São Jorge, and its landscape is truly eye-catching, a genuine spectacle of nature.
It is a geosite of significant scientific, educational, and geotouristic interest, attracting countless tourists every year. Visitors are enchanted by the local geolandscape, which is classified by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve.
Forming part of the São Jorge coastline, this fajã belongs to the parish of Ribeira Seca, in the municipality of Calheta. It is surrounded by one of the island’s highest cliffs, which sees frequent rainfall throughout the year, contributing to the region’s climate and creating excellent conditions for agriculture, especially for growing coffee.
And speaking of coffee, it is here in Fajã dos Vimes that the Nunes family has a plantation of this delicacy on the land behind their house.
For those interested in learning more about the production process, the family offers tours of the coffee plantation, where the owners share the complete history and origin of their coffee. On the Nunes’ property, traditional wool and cotton bedspreads are also produced using pedal looms, a craft typical of the locality.
Photograph by José Luís Ávila Silveira/Pedro Noronha e Costa
For those who enjoy hiking, this fajã is the starting point for a walking trail offering fantastic views of the island and its incredibly rich fauna and flora.
So, be sure to visit and explore Fajã dos Vimes, a place brimming with natural beauty and a unique coffee-growing area.
History of Fajã dos Vimes
The history of the Island of São Jorge is marked by a cycle of seismic activity, alternating between long periods of calm and intense phases with stronger earthquakes. And it was in Fajã dos Vimes that one of the worst earthquakes in the history of the Azores occurred: the Calheta Earthquake, on 9 July 1757.
To give you an idea, with the exception of the Island of Flores and Corvo, all the other islands in the archipelago felt the impact of the earthquake. It caused the destruction of all buildings in Calheta and resulted in a total of 1,034 deaths on São Jorge, 11 on Pico, and 1 on Terceira.
