" S. Jorge, Azores Portugal "

The history and settlement of the island is shrouded in mystery. The first reference to São Jorge dates from 1439 and it is known that in about 1470,
when there were already small groups of settlers on the western and southern coasts and the settlement at Velas had already been founded, the Flemish nobleman,
Wihelm van der Haegen, came to the island where he established a settlement at Topo. And it was there that he was to die, famous for his virtues and with his
name already translated The island must have been settled with people from the north of Portugal, and prosperity must have come quickly, too,
since its captaincy was given to João Corte Real, donee of Angra on Terceira island, in 1483, while Velas had received its town charter by the end of the 15th century.
Topo became the seat of a municipality in 1510 and the same happened to Calheta in 1534, demonstrating the vitality of the economy, the mainstays of which were
the production of grapes, wheat, woad and archil.
The two latter products were exported to Flanders and other European countries where they were used in dyeing.
The dynastic crisis brought about when Philip II of Spain took the Portuguese throne; had its repercussions in São Jorge which, like Terceira,
sided with the pretender Dom António, Prior do Crato. In fact, Sno Jorge capitulated to the Spaniards only after the fall of Terceira in 1583.
The island must have been settled with people from the north of Portugal, and prosperity must have come quickly, too, since its captaincy was given to João Corte Real,
 donee of Angra on Terceira island, in 1483, while Velas had received its town charter by the end of the 15th century.
Topo became the seat of a municipality in 1510 and the same happened to Calheta in 1534, demonstrating the vitality of the economy, the mainstays of which were the
production of grapes, wheat, woad and archil.
The two latter products were exported to Flanders and other European countries where they were used in dyeing.
The dynastic crisis brought about when Philip II of Spain took the Portuguese throne; had its repercussions in São Jorge which, like Terceira,
sided with the pretender Dom António, Prior do Crato. In fact, São Jorge capitulated to the Spaniards only after the fall of Terceira in 1583.
This was followed by a centuries-long period in which the island has almost isolated, which should be attributed to the precarious shelter that its ports offered to ships
 and to its limited economic importance.
Even so it was subjected to attacks by English and French privateers during the 16th and 17th centuries and devastating raids by Turkish and Algerian corsairs.
At the end of the 16th century, a part of the fleet commanded by the Earl of Essex landed at Calheta  To repel the invaders, the inhabitants threw heavy stones the only weapons
 they had and a soldier called Simão Gato rushed at the commanding officer of the enemy force, knocked him down and seized the flag from his hands.
In the 16th century the
French privateer, Du - Guay -Trouin, pillaged São Jorge and in the year 1816 an Algerian pirate, who was trying to take
a merchant ship, was driven off by shots fired from the fortress of Calheta. But other calamities also affected São Jorge. There were food shortages
and hunger in bad crop years from the 16th to the 19th centuries, besides the earthquake sand volcanic eruptions of 1580, 1757 and 1808.
The past isolation of the island has been overcome by the works carried out in the two main ports Velas and Calheta and by the building of an airport.
These works have opened new horizons of prosperity and progress for São Jorge, which is counting, for this purpose, on the full use of its natural resources
and the expansion of livestock raising, the dairy industry, fisheries and the canning industry.

São Jorge

Calheta. Built parallel to the coast, its while houses shine among the green of the high neighboring
cliff and the black rocks next to the sea. Old manor houses. Busy fishing port. Place to visit: Church
of Santa Catarina. "Velas". Several noble dwellings testify to its past prosperity and importance. Charming surrounding landscape Interesting
rural chapels. Places to visit: Church of São Jorge;
Church of Nossa Senhora de Conceição; Town Hall and Porto do Mar. Manadas. Picturesque village set among crop lands. Manor houses.
Rural chapels with architectural value. Fishing port.
Place to visit: Church of Santa Barbara.

Topo - Ribeira Seca

Houses scattered over a verdant fajãs or coastal plain. Places to visit:
Church of Sao Tiago Maior and House
of Gaspar Silva. Topo. Place where the discoverers first landed. Settled in 1470.
Old town. Picturesque fishing port, Casa dos Tiagos, 17th c. building representative of the noble
architecture of the island. Places to visit:
 Church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário and Church of Sno Francisco.
Urzelina. Village rebuilt after the devastating effects of a volcanic eruption in 1808.
Worth a visit are the bell
tower that stands out from the lava that buried the old church,
the new church (l9th c.) and the chapel of Jesus da Boa Morte.

Topo 1

The many shades of cool green of the pastures inhabited by plump spotted cows.
The spots of blue hydrangeas and heather in the fields. The dense clusters of ferns which,
mixed with arum lilies and belladonnas - the latter affectionately called "girls go to school",
in some islands of the archipelago since they bloom at the start of the school year - cover the slopes.
Here and there oaks, beeches, pines and eucalyptus are mixed with the remains of the lauris silva forest
that covered the island before it was settled, a valuable relic of the vegetation that
existed in southern Europe and North Africa over 15 million years ago. This is the natural setting that São Jorge
offers for the most exciting views, to which the crystal blue ocean lends its tones and its frame made up of foam
dashing against the steep cliffs along the coast.

Feijãs

Originating in the collapse of cliffs, the Feijãs are flat areas that stretch along the coast.
 All of them have
been converted into fertile orchards, into fields where yams, maize and vegetables are grown.
Due to micro-climates, it is possible to grow coffee, vineyards,
tropical fruits and beautiful dragon trees in some of them. There are Feijãs on both sides of the island.
On the lower, sunnier southern coast, you will find
the faças of Velas, Santo Amaro, Almas, Grande, Vimes, Bodes, São João, Cardoso and Alabaal.
The north is a succession of tiny fajãs at the bottom of ravines that are hundreds of metres deep;
the outstanding ones are those of Caldeira de Santo Cristo
(with an underwater cave and a lake from which delicious cockles are
obtained the only ones in the Azores), Cubres (also with a crystalline lake) and Ouvidor
(the limiting rocks of which have been made lace-like by the ocean)
The central peaks.
An area that corresponds to the most recent part of the island which is geologically the product
of three important volcanic eruptions spaced out ever thousands of years, of which the "welding" can be seen in the fractures that interrupt the landscape to the east
and to the west.
It is made up of small volcanic cones of which the highest - Pico da Esperança? with an altitude of 1,067 metres - offers views that take in the nearest islands: Faial, Pico,
Graciosa and Terceira.
The Islets. Slightly to the north of the picturesque parish of Topo lies a verdant islet where
cattle graze, brought to and from the pastures by boat. Off the western tip of the island lies Rosais islet,
an inhospitable rock inhabited only by sea-birds.
The natural arches. The waves have hollowed out the hard lava, creating natural bridges and arches along the coast.
The most interesting are situated at Velas and .in the fajal of Santo Amaro. Grottoes.
Walking along the coast near Urzelina, you can reach Furna das Pombas, a curious volcanic formation inhabited by wild pigeons.
Algar do Montoso, situated on the peak of the same name, requires experience and equipment. Streams. They begin as trickles of water.
But they soon gain momentum and when they reach the cleavage lines of the crest of the island they often turn into striking waterfalls that leap tens or
hundreds of metres until they reach the sea.
Parks. Sete Fontes in the Parish of Rosais and Silveira at Ribeira Seca display the most beautiful things nature can offer in the spring and summer.
A paradise for the sports fisherman and for line diver interested in underwater observation, who will find an enormous number of fish all along the coast,
São Jorge can offer rabbits and pigeons to hunters. But it is the varied landscape,
made up of broad view sof a succession of verdant levels, that is fascinating for walkers, who are thrilled by the exciting scene of deep ravines disappearing into the sea, the geometrical shapes of cones
of extinct volcanos and the colorful hues
of wild flowers. Living wrapped up in the green countryside as they do, the inhabitants of Säo Jorge hold a colorful and joyful series of events every year. These are the famous Holy Ghost Festivals, which date back to the time of the settlers
and join the inhabitants together in a fraternal spirit. The festival begins with the crowning of the "emperor". It continues with the displaying of the crown for
8 days in the house of the managers. And it ends on the feast day of the "empire", when a copious meal is served while
the "jesters" sing old tunes accompanied by drum and symbols; in the afternoon, bands liven things up with their music. Sometimes "bullfighting on a rope", brought from neighboring.
Terceira island, stimulates the bravest lads to challenge
the animal, not always successfully but in a way that is always lively and marry. All over the island,
starting on Whitsun and continuing until the summer months. Santo Cristo folk pilgrimage. The surprise of finding
the happy atmosphere of a rustic festival in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. Fireworks, colorful arches
and music provide the frame for the religious ceremony. Fajã of Santo Cristo. First Sunday in September.