Café Nunes: the Only Coffee Grown and Served in Europe
Europe doesn’t grow coffee, except in one small faja on Sao Jorge’s south coast, where a family turned a domestic curiosity into one of the island’s most sought-after experiences.
Seeds brought from Brazil two centuries ago
It’s believed that an Azorean emigrant, in the late 18th or early 19th century, brought the first Arabica coffee seeds from Brazil to Faja dos Vimes. The faja’s mild microclimate and rocky soil proved surprisingly favourable to the plant.
From household tradition to a cafe open to the public
It was the couple Alzira and Manuel Nunes who, after buying land in the faja already home to some coffee plants, decided to keep tending them. In 1997, with enough stock to sell, they opened Cafe Nunes, a small space next to their Craft House, where the family also weaves Sao Jorge’s traditional ‘high stitch’ bedspreads.
Hundreds of plants, all by hand
Today, the land behind the Nunes family home holds hundreds of coffee plants, making it one of the largest coffee plantations in the Azores. The entire process, from harvest to roasting, is done by hand, without pesticides or chemicals, resulting in a 100% organic coffee with a fruity, mildly sweet flavour.
An experience, not just a drink
Tasting the coffee right in the faja, with a view over the Atlantic and the Nunes family telling their story, is what sets this visit apart. The business has never accepted offers to scale up commercially, the coffee can only be tried there.
Planning your visit
- Location: Faja dos Vimes, on Sao Jorge’s south coast.
- What to see: the coffee plantation and the Nunes Craft House.
- Access: by road down to the faja, followed by a short walk.
Best time to visit
Any time of year works, since the coffee is served year-round.
Nearby highlights
Faja do Ouvidor and Faja da Caldeira de Santo Cristo are a short distance away.
After Cafe Nunes, keep exploring the fajas of Sao Jorge’s south coast, each with its own microclimate and tradition.
Learn more about the gastronomy of the Azores.
