The Fajã da Praia do Norte is a headland created by the lava of the eruption of the Cabeço do Fogo volcano in 1672. Nowadays it is a quiet spot with adegas, old agricultural buildings, summer houses and beautiful small gardens. The sandy beach of Fajã da Praia do Norte has perfect conditions for surfing, but be aware of the currents. In the wintertime, you can experience really impressive swells crashing to the shore.
How to get to Fajã da Praia do Norte
Take the regional road from Horta towards Capelinhos, but instead of going down to Capelinhos, continue on the road, pass by the village of Norte Pequeno, soon after you have to turn left at the sign. If you are coming from the other side of island, shortly after Praia do Norte you have to turn right.
What to do in Fajã da Praia do Norte
Walk to the sandy beach, enjoy the power of the Atlantic Ocean, if you want you can take a swim, but careful, there are currents and only experienced swimmers should go for it. If you are a surfer, then ride the waves.
Have a stroll among the adegas, walk down to the old port which you find on your left when the road reaches the sea. There you can find on the basaltic rocks inclusions of a mineral unique to Faial, the Fayalite.
Take the circular Rocha da Fajã Trail which leads among the forest up the cliff to Praia do Norte and back. You can make it in about 2 hours 30 minutes, it does not require any special skills apart from being fit to climb uphill.
You can also take a trail along the coast towards Capelinhos. It is a beautiful one way trail, passing through forests, bushlands, cliffs and the ash covered landscape of Capelinhos. Please note this is not an officially marked trail, but it is popular among the trail runners of the island. The trail is part of the Triangle Adventure trail running race, for details, click on the link.
