São Jorge

What a beautiful island!! You can still find some wild nature while discovering the "Fajãs" through the pedestrian rails. People are friendly and so nice! When you look to the ocean's horizon it is always interrupted by another island which I find lovely! I just hope the cows and massive tourism won't destroy the island's beauty!

The island of rocky cliffs, incredible and unusual fãjas, natural pools, lush green forest and meadows. And of course delicious São Jorge cheese (must taste). In some parts of the island the air smells of eucalypto. São Jorge seems unexplored territory. If you have got a drone the aerial view takes yours breath away.

The steepest and most rugged of the central islands. A high central plateau runs the length of the island which is dotted with rugged villages by the sea hundreds of meters below. The Fajã is a mark of the island. Getting to them, an adventure! You will need a car. Bus service is almost non existent and taxis expensive. High season is summer when ex-pats come home. Rentals are very tight. Best activities are some spectacular hikes to places like Fajã dos Cubres or Lagoa da Fajã de Santo Cristo. Ask around for some local eateries throughout the island. Seafood is a must. São Jorge cheese is world-class. Choose Velas at one end if you need a city. Topo at the other for character. The drives in between have spectacular viewpoints.

Fantastic island. One of the lesser populated islands in the Azores but it makes it even better.

The most rugged island of the Azores. Offers great hiking opportunities. Beautiful, green and peaceful. One can easily get away from the main roads and wonder through tracks that cross the entire island. The most beautiful azorean island (with Flores).

São Jorge is an island situated in the central group of the Azores archipelago and part of the autonomous region of Portugal. Separated from its nearest neighbors (Pico and Faial islands) by the 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) Pico-São Jorge Channel, the central group is often referred colloquially as part of the Triangulo (Triangle) group or just "The Triangle". São Jorge is a relatively long thin island with tall cliffs, whose 9500 inhabitants are concentrated on various geological debris fields (fajãs) along the north and south coasts; from east to west, the island is 53 kilometres (33 mi) long and, north to south, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) wide: its area is 237.59 square kilometres (91.73 sq mi).

I am hoping to find others that may be distant relatives of my family. My great grandfather’s parents came from the island of Sao Jorge, Portugal. I hope to have the opportunity someday to visit the island so I can experience being where my family originated from. I live in San Antonio, Texas, USA with my husband and our 2 youngest children. We have 6 beautiful children and 3 beautiful grandkids. Sadly my grandparents have departed from this Earth. They were the people who gave me the little bit of information I was able to get. Now that my kids are starting families of their own they have more questions than I originally did when I was a kid. It has become very important to me that I pass the family genealogy onto my kids so they can keep our families history alive and never forgotten. I don’t want everything my family sacrificed for to have been for nothing. I will list the names of my family back to my great grandparents. I am hoping someone may be able to help provide some insight into our family genealogy. Thank you for your help with this. Cherlene Sutter Great Grandfather: Joseph Bettencourt Mattos Last city of residence: Napa, California, USA Grandfather: Alfred Leroy Mattos Riverbank, California, USA Great Uncle: Edward Mattos Ukiah, California, USA Mother: Charlotte Ruth Mattos Currently Resides: Sonora, California, USA Uncle: Kenneth Leroy Mattos Me: Born: Cherlene Anne Shipley Modesto, California, USA Sept 28, 1974 Married name & info: Cherlene Anne Sutter San Antonio, Texas, USA August 2010-current

Our preferred Azorean island: quietness, stunning green landscapes called Fajas and nice locals :)