Calheta village one of the oldest settlements of São Jorge

Fajã da Caldeira do Santo Cristo,only place in the Azores where clams are created

Hope Peak, highest mountain of the island, with 1053 meters

Geography

With a length of 55 km and a maximum width of 8 km, São Jorge Island was born from a series of volcanic eruptions in a straight line. The area of the island reaches 246.25 km2, and it is the home for nearly ten thousand inhabitants. Located at 28º 33’ west longitude and 38º 24’ north latitude, São Jorge Island is part of the Central Group, being one of the vertices of the so-called “triangle islands,” which also comprise Faial and Pico.

History

Given its proximity to Terceira, it is believed that the Portuguese navigators discovered São Jorge Island between 1449 and 1451, along with the other islands that surround it. As the second island to be inhabited in the Central Group, it started to be populated around 1460. A decade later, several settlements were already established on the western and southern coasts, including in Velas. The arrival of the Flemish noble Wilhelm Van der Haegen marks the foundation of the Topo community in the east end of the island.
In 1483, the captaincy of São Jorge Island, which displayed clear signs of development, was given to João Vaz Corte Real, who was at the time responsible for populating Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira Island. A town’s charter was conceded to Velas at the end of 15^th Century, a title that was also extended to Topo in 1510 and to Calheta in 1534. The prosperity of the island came from vineyards and wheat. A dye plant called woad, whose leaves produce a blue shade, as well as the roccella lichen, from which a purple colour is extracted, were exported to the dye plants of Flanders and of other European states.
Left to a certain isolation due to the lack of safe ports, São Jorge Island progressively lost its economic influence. In the 16^th and 17^th centuries, the island was visited by the unwelcome English and French privateers, as well as by the ruthless Turkish and Algerian pirates. The Du-Gray-Trouin incursion to Velas in 1708 became famous. Defeated by the people’s heroic resistance, the French corsair left São Jorge Island with a poor loot and many casualties.
From the 16^th to the 19^th centuries, the inhabitants’ lives were hit by agricultural crisis, which caused food scarcity, and by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, which caused great destruction. However, during the first half of the 19^th century, the population took active part in the export of oranges and wine, which led to periods of economic development. Then came a period associated to whale hunting that lasted until part of the 20^th century. This was when cattle-raising and the dairy industry experienced great expansion. Currently, the island’s airport and the modern ports of Velas and Calheta contribute to the full integration of São Jorge Island in the Azores Archipelago and in the world.