Thematic Tours: Authentic São Jorge Experience

About the Experience

This tour of approximately 4 hours will show you the best cheese in the Azores - São Jorge cheese - and how it is made, from the milking of the cows in the high pastures to its confection in the cheese factories - "Queijarias".

This experience starts in the morning, with a trip to an agricultural farm, where you can see the raw material, milk, and the milking process that will later make the cheese.

You will have the opportunity to see the cows in their almost natural habitat, the green pastures, at altitude, on the island of São Jorge, responsible for the excellent quality of the cheese and its unique flavor.

Then, a visit to a Cheese Shop - "Queijaria Canada" - is included, where the cheese is made in the most traditional way possible.

Also, a visit to "União das Cooperativas" (Union of Agricultural Dairy Cooperatives of São Jorge) - Uniqueijo, where the traditional and much appreciated São Jorge DOP Cheese is produced, stored, packaged, and sold using the most modern technologies and methods of preparation.

You will have the opportunity to taste this unique product, in its different stages of maturation, which gives them different textures and flavors - at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months.

A visit to Casa do Parque de São Jorge, Interpretation Center will give you some more information about the context in which this activity is inserted in the island, its importance, in the past and in the present.

Schedule:

08:00 am - 09:00 am Traditional Farm Visit

09:00 am - 10:00 am Visit to a cheese factory

10 am - 11 am Interpretation Center

11:00 am - 12:00 pm Visit to "União das Cooperativas"

Important Information:

• This activity can be in the afternoon, starting at 2:00 pm, to watch the milking of the cows in the afternoon at around 5:00 pm
• With the current situation, resulting from Covid-19, visits to the interior of the factories (cheesemakers) are not authorized, which we are very sorry about. As long as this situation continues, and to replace this visit, we will be visiting an agricultural farm of cattle for meat.

Terms and Conditions

Cancellations only up to 14 days prior to activity.