Fajãs are flat or gently sloping strips of land at sea level, tucked between cliffs and ocean. São Jorge has dozens, each with its own history, microclimate and community.
Fajã da Penedia, Fajã dos Cubres, Fajã dos Vimes and Fajã de João Dias are among the best known. For centuries these plains allowed cultivation of maize, potatoes and pasture on otherwise inaccessible terrain.