hkskyline's 2025 in the AZORES

[Rico Rommheim]

Wow what a place! Great captures too. I gotta go there.

[hkskyline]

You can't miss the volcano. It is the tallest mountain around and you can easily spot it from neighbouring islands. Rising 2351m, it is possible to hike to the top with the starting point half way up at Mountain's House at about 1200m.

The hike is technically difficult with steep gradients, so having a guide was a good decision for safety and local knowledge. Mountain weather can change quickly and be drastically different from sea level. While it was sunny in the towns, Pico's top could be shrouded in clouds, and the guide's assessment on whether to proceed is crucial for a successful trip.

There isn't a marked path up the mountain - you trek amidst the rocks and look for the official trekking posts along the mountainside. However, it wasn't clear how you get from one pole to another. This is where the guide's expertise kicks in as she finds a safe way up and the group follows behind.

















































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/azores.htm

[hkskyline]

Just a few days earlier, I had taken the Atlantico ferry from Horta to Pico, which was scenic yet uneventful. I didn't encounter any major delays or cancellations thanks to good weather.

My ferry from Madalena to Velas today would get me to my 4th island. At the basic-looking terminal, check in at the counter, where friendly staff take your larger bags into the hold just like at the airport, and line up shortly before departure for boarding.







The top deck has an open seating area where you can enjoy beautiful views of Pico on departure. After climbing Pico 2 days ago, its top has returned to being elusive this morning.





Over in the distance is Faial and the town of Horta.



Pico's northern coast has quaint villages that make good use of the black volcanic rock to build their houses, as well as protective walls for their crops.



You can easily spot Sao Jorge from Pico, with details of its rugged coastline quickly revealing itself during today's journey. There are massive cliffs with settlements perched above. The island stretches 54 km long and is famous for its local cheese.

































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/azores.htm

[hkskyline]

Velas is a quaint and hilly town and I've set up base here to go hiking in the nearby fajas. This streets were fairly quiet but I soon bumped into crowds around the port and beaches.

Let's start at what looks like the main town square - the Igreja Matriz was built in the 17th century although there was a temple here from the 15th.







The Portao do Mar was built in the 18th and originally served as part of the old defense walls. Today, it is the entryway to the port terminal where my ferry from Pico docked. Right outside of it is a pedestrian shopping street and a few busy restaurants.







At the end of the street is a garden with a bright red gazebo with lots of beautiful flowers.















The waterfront area was far busier with food trucks, beaches, crowds, and a natural arch facing Pico's volcano on the other side of the water.







More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/azores.htm

[hkskyline]

The small town of Velas is wrapped around by mountains, and it's easy to hike up a small hill just to the west of the town centre for a nice view of the city. With a car, you can go further uphill for other viewpoints but I chose to walk to this one because it is so easy and close by.

It's an easy climb up a grassy dirt path as it zig zags up the mountain to a small tower ruin at the top. Welcome to the Miradouro do Morro Das Velas.

























More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/azores.htm

[hkskyline]

Officially, Sao Jorge has 74 fajas. These are made from earth or lava that slid down the cliffs into the sea, creating new flat land. This 10km hike is fairly easy, heading downhill from Serra do Topo at about 700m, passing Faja da Caldeira de Santo Cristo and finishing at Faja dos Cubres by the sea.





















The descent is not difficult although it is a dirt path. Having climbed the Pico volcano just a few days earlier, I'm surprised I didn't feel pain during and after this hike.









That's the first faja of the day - da Caldeira de Santo Cristo.













From here on, the walk will be relatively flat with a few short hilly sections along the coast.















Leaving Faja da Caldeira de Santo Cristo behind, the uphill sections get a bit more slippery with many small rocks. There is no road leading from the rest of the island into here, although some smaller carts do travel along here due to a resort nearby.









Named after a local yellow flower, Faja dos Cubres is a bit more unique since there's a lake here as well. Life is slow here. People used to come to live in the fajas during the warmer parts of the year from the highlands, taking everything they own as well as their cattle down the steep trails.





The driver picked us up at Faja dos Cubres and stopped at a viewpoint on the way back uphill towards Velas for a final look at today's accomplishment. Sao Jorge's coastal regions are very rugged, green, and beautiful.



More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/azores.htm