Faja De Baixo combines a rural landscape with historic buildings and a well-established pineapple-growing tradition. Landscape features include pineapple greenhouses, which are protected from strong winds by tall, trimmed hedges.
Rural Landscape and Architecture
The Mirante da Fajã de Baixo is considered a defining feature of the parish’s rural landscape. Its proportions and architectural design are noteworthy. Its place in the landscape and its architectural design offer two different ways of experiencing the same place.
On June 24, 2021, the mirante was classified as a property of public interest. This formal category adds a clear status and a precise date to the consideration of the building.
Pineapple Cultivation and Agricultural Change
The history of agriculture here spans grape growing, orange cultivation, and finally pineapple cultivation. After a crisis hit São Miguel’s orange groves, Fajã de Baixo became the island’s largest pineapple producer. This development makes pineapples an important part of the area’s history and connects them with changes in local agriculture.
At the Pineapple Culture Interpretation Centre (CICA), you can visit the permanent exhibition and the plantations. The centre presents the history of pineapple cultivation and the technological advances that made it possible. Together, the exhibition and plantations offer insight into both the fruit’s history and how it is grown. As visitor arrangements may change, check the latest information before your visit.
The Estufas de Ananases Boa Fruta offer another historical connection. They are considered the oldest pineapple greenhouses in the Azores and date back to the 19th century. Dr. Augusto Arruda founded the greenhouses. The growing cycle is also part of their history: a pineapple takes an average of 18 months there to become ready to eat. This timescale gives a tangible sense of the long journey from cultivation to finished product.
Church and Festival Tradition
The present-day Church of Nossa Senhora dos Anjos was built over the ruins of its predecessor and completed in 1791. Its construction history thus connects the current church building with the earlier one on the same site. The festival in honor of Nossa Senhora dos Anjos takes place on August 15. As a recurring religious tradition, the date offers a specific point of reference if you’d like to plan your stay around the festival.
Choosing Hotels in Faja De Baixo
When looking for hotels in Faja De Baixo, you can start by deciding what you’d like to focus on during your stay: pineapple cultivation, architecture, and festival tradition each offer a different point of interest. Then compare specific accommodations based on your own requirements; details about amenities and availability relate to each individual property.
For the broader travel overview: Faja De Baixo.
