Travel Guide Fajã

Located to the north-west of Ribeira Brava, after Lameirão and Carvoeiros, this town lies in a green region of food crops and market garden produce such as beans, corn, bananas, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, potatoes... products that are distributed all over the island. It's here that the majestic, round-shaped dragon tree flourishes, a millennium-old tree that is very rare in the world. Its red sap is used as a coloring agent in certain grogues. Once a symbol of the island, it is deplored that this tree is now on the verge of extinction. It can also be found on the mountain slopes of the islands of Fogo and Santo Antão, but it's in São Nicolau that you'll come across the finest specimens.Fajã is surrounded by mountains, including Monte Gordo, the highest point on the island at 1,312 m. It was here that the famous Galeria de Fajã was dug, a 2,180 m-long water gallery, a hydrogeological mission carried out with the support of France, which sent its engineers in the 1980s. The challenge was to excavate a water table over 200 m deep and make it exploitable, but only two kilometers from the plateau. For six years, the miners drilled into the rock and created a gallery, advancing an average of one metre per day. The work radically changed the landscape and economy of the region, transforming it into an oasis of freshness. The 50-hectare irrigated area is now the island's granary, with a high-quality drinking water supply. This real feat has had other impacts, such as helping to fix and increase the population of the surrounding villages, which would probably have deserted the area in the absence of water.A very pleasant walk consists of being dropped off by aluguer at Fajã (around 100 CVE from Ribeira) and tackling the ascent of the Assomada de Covoada. The descent to Ribeira Funda, a sleepy fishing village, is magnificent. To get back to Ribeira Brava, simply follow the coast as far as Estancia Bras and catch a bus. This 6-hour hike combines discovery and calf-building.Another hike, from Estancia Bras, takes you along the coast to Ribeira Furna, up to the small mountain village of Covoada, accessible only on foot, then over a pass to Fajã de Baixo, where you rejoin the island's main road. Allow around 5 hours for this healthy walk between sky, sea and mountains.