GEOGRAPHY

This island is crossed by a mountain range that reaches the maximum altitude of 1053 meters, the Peak of Hope. The coast is generally rocky, with high steep cliffs.

Pico Island view from Fajã Grande, Calheta, island of São Jorge.

The great peculiarity of this island are the Fajãs, almost all inhabited but of very difficult access. On the north coast, there are the Fajã do Ouvidor, Faja da Cima boiler, Faja da Ribeira da Areia, Faja dos Cubres and Faja da Caldeira de Santo Cristo. On the south coast, the most important are the Fajã dos Vimes and the Fajã de São João.

Its origin is on one fissure volcanism promoted by the expansion of the Atlantic crust and is associated with a transform fault that runs from the CMA to the island of São Miguel - the failure of Sao Jorge.

So this island was created by successive volcanic eruptions in a straight line, that craters remain, its central platform has an average altitude of 700 meters, often down almost sheer from that altitude to the coves along the ocean. Thus having some sites a highly steep and almost vertical coast, mainly to the north. It is located at 28º 33 'west longitude and at 38º 24' north latitude.

CLIMATE

Like the other islands of the archipelago, the climate of São Jorge is temperate oceanic. The Atlantic and the Gulf Stream function as temperature moderators - maritime - giving the island and the archipelago in general a small thermal amplitude. Rainfall is distributed regularly throughout the year, although it is more abundant in the cool season.

In winter, as well as the other islands of the archipelago, it is ravaged by strong winds that blow predominantly from the southwest, while in the summer they move to the North quadrant. The sky is generally cloudy, which causes variable sunshine.

PLACES TO VISIT AND FESTIVITIES

The main festive manifestations of popular character of the island of São Jorge, are not different from those that are made in general of the other islands of the Azores, and are the Festivities of the Holy Spirit that converge around the Empire of the Divine and are an important religious manifestation that takes place every Sunday for seven weeks before Easter and culminates on the seventh Sunday, Pentecost, varying from locality to locality within the island.

The Candlemas Cultural Week is also another popular expression that mixes traditional ethnography with new cultural manifestations that come from outside. During this week conferences and exhibitions of outstanding figures of the culture of the Azores are celebrated. In the first week of July there are concerts by local artists from Portugal. Also during these festivities a fair Taurina, and finally the regatta of Horta-Velas-Horta, that completes the poster of these celebrations.

The Festival of July is the name of another festive manifestation, this time held in the municipality of Calheta. These parties last four days and are composed of ethnographic parades, musical comedies and theatrical performances, to exhibitions and sports competitions of various kinds.

The pilgrimages are a tradition of the island of St. George and are deeply linked to the belief of Divine intervention against the force of Volcanoes and Earthquakes. Thus arises the Pilgrimage of Our Lady of Carmo that takes place in Fajã dos Vimes, on July 16 of each year. And the Holy Christ Pilgrimage that takes place in Fajã da Caldeira de Santo Cristo. These pilgrimages are always composed of a procession of the oracle of the place, by fireworks and mass.