Azores: Terceira
Bom Dia!
Terceira — one of the nine islands of the Azores archipelago, located in the Atlantic Ocean and belonging to Portugal. The island’s name translates from Portuguese as “third,” since it was the third island discovered by sailors in the 15th century.
For me, this was the first island where I began my journey through the Azores.
I’ll skip the points about how to get there, moving between islands, and other important things — all of that is covered in the Azores FAQ: what you need to know before the trip.
Where to stay
The main city on the island is Angra Do Heroísmo. It’s best to look for accommodation there. I stayed at the Cruzeiro hotel. There’s free public parking in front of the hotel, plus hotel parking in the inner courtyard. Cute place, decent breakfasts, about a fifteen-minute walk to restaurants and the shore. Although, honestly, it doesn’t matter much how far it is to the shore — for swimming, you’ll need to go to another part of the island.
I can also recommend Memoria Charming House. It’s a small family-run hotel. Just look at the number of reviews and the rating; you rarely see anything like it. Small rooms, and very attentive staff. It almost feels like visiting friends. The downside — there’s no free parking near the hotel. Public parking is paid on weekdays from 08:00 to 19:00.
Where to eat and drink
Honestly, this is a total nightmare — I have no other word for it. The main thing about Terceira is — there are fewer restaurants than tourists. If you want to have dinner, you need to book a table. Otherwise, you’ll be standing at the entrance, hoping someone doesn’t show up. Or you’ll have to go around every place asking if there’s a spot. And yes, every single one, without being picky. Otherwise, you’ll end up at McDonald’s or Burger King. And on Sundays, more than half of the places are closed, so you’ll have to look even harder!
- Tasca das Tias — do whatever you want: cry, tear your hair out in front of the host, even go as far as killing someone in the line in front of you — but you have to get in here. The best tuna steaks in all of the Azores.
- A Canadinha — a nice spot for lunch. Besides the regular menu, they have fish and meat dishes of the day, written in chalk on the board, with plenty of options.
- Birou Bar — nothing special, but memorable because a table suddenly opened up and we managed to have dinner. Here, I recommend ordering alcatra — Terceira’s signature meat dish. Beef tenderloin slowly cooks in a clay pot with wine, onions, and spices until it practically falls off the bone. One pot for two adults is more than enough — pure meat, no potatoes or extras.
- Cafe Alianca — checked all the restaurants and there’s nowhere to sit? It’s late, but you feel like having a snack or a drink? This is the place. The hostel is on the second floor, the café-canteen-bar on the first. Everything’s very decent and respectable.
- Ti Choa — a great family-run restaurant. We stumbled upon it for lunch. It’s not in Angra, but then again, you won’t be spending the whole day in the city.
- The Texan — did you come from Texas or Tijuana? Missing tacos, quesadillas, burritos, fajitas? Welcome. My taste buds were in absolute horror at this overly fancy place: “Your table is reserved for 8:00 PM, and it’s only 7:57, please wait outside.” The only good thing here — excellent IPA.
What to see on Terceira
Reminder — without a car, there’s no point in coming to the Azores, you might as well not even bother.
Angra do Heroismo
Angra do Heroísmo — the main city on Terceira. Founded in 1478, its name translates as “Bay of Heroes.” It used to be called simply Angra — the bay.
And now, time for some heroic tales.
In the mid-19th century, Portugal experienced a civil war, better known as the Miguelite Wars. The main conflict was over the throne and disagreements about the form of government. The fighting broke out between supporters of Prince Miguel I and absolutism (a dictatorship with all power in the hands of the monarch) and the liberals — supporters of a constitutional monarchy backing Queen Maria II and her father, Pedro IV.
Miguel declared himself king and established an authoritarian regime, which led to armed resistance from the liberals. Pedro and Maria fled to Terceira, which was a liberal stronghold, set up a government-in-exile, and formed alliances with neighboring countries — France, Spain, England.
I’m not writing a history textbook here; if you’re curious about what happened next, you’ll find it on Wikipedia. The war ended with the Pedristas (not my term) defeating the Miguelites. Maria became queen and, in gratitude, gave the city a new name — Bay of Heroes (Angra do Heroísmo).
The entire historic center of Angra do Heroísmo is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city received this recognition thanks to its unique urban layout and architecture, preserved since the 16th century.
That man rushing somewhere (who is actually a monument) — that’s a statue of Vasco da Gama. His brother Paulo was treated in a hospital here on Terceira. When Paulo passed away, Vasco da Gama fell into depression and stayed on the island for three months.
In Angra do Heroísmo, there’s a great viewpoint near the Pedro IV memorial (yes — that very one).
Miradouro do Pico das Cruzinhas
The best view of Angra do Heroísmo opens up from the Miradouro do Pico das Cruzinhas viewpoint on Monte Brasil (Mount Brasil).
Praia da Vitoria
Praia da Vitoria — the second largest town on the island. The name translates as “Victory Beach.” It’s connected to the same Miguelite Wars events. As you might have guessed, it used to be just a beach where one of the battles took place, after which it became Victory Beach.
There’s a viewpoint here.
Lajes Military Base
The airport on Terceira — Lajes — is named after the nearby village. During World War II, a military base was established on Terceira, used as a strategic point by the United States and still an important site for international military operations. Lajes Airport serves not only civilian flights but is also a base for the Portuguese Air Force.
After the Americans arrived, Praia da Vitoria transformed from an ordinary village into a thriving small town.
Volcanic Caves
Terceira is famous for its volcanic origin. The island has many volcanic craters and caves. Two of them are open for visits.
Algar do Carvão — a must-see. Parking is near the entrance; the entrance fee is €10 (for both caves €15). The descent into the cave is via stairs, and it’s not difficult. This isn’t just a cave in a mountain — it’s a dormant volcano that last erupted 2,000 years ago. On top of that, it’s a kind of “volcano within a volcano.” Usually, when a volcano erupts again, the walls of the previous one are destroyed. That didn’t happen at Algar do Carvão. There are only three such caves in the world — the others are in Iceland and Indonesia.
Descending the stairs into Algar do Carvão feels like entering a Jurassic Park portal. Inside the cave, there are stalactites, stalagmites, and a small lake.
Hot Springs and Fumaroles
Next to Algar do Carvão, there’s a small park with geothermal springs and fumaroles — those are cracks in the ground (and remember, we’re standing on a volcano) that constantly emit steam. The volcano is sleeping and sighing. The puffs aren’t as powerful as in Yellowstone, but it’s still interesting. Plus, it’s free. From the parking lot, wooden walkways lead into the area, and it’s not crowded.
Gruta do Natal
The second cave — Gruta do Natal (Christmas Cave — it was discovered just before Christmas). It’s not as huge, and there are fewer visitors. Inside, the cave is completely untouched, giving you full immersion into the world of speleology.
Miradouro da Serra do Cume
There’s parking in front of the viewpoint. From above, you can see half of Terceira. Fields divided by lava stone walls, cows grazing… beautiful.
Praia das 4 Ribeiras
We park the car and head down to swim in the natural lava pools. In the Biscoitos area, there are several such spots, and I liked this one. Don’t be fooled by the photos — it looks empty, but I first visited Terceira in May, and indeed, no one was swimming then. By July, though, people were everywhere. For kids, there’s a separate shallow pool. Adults either jump into the ocean from the rocks or relax in the smaller pools.
The only sandy beach for swimming is in Angra do Heroísmo. Elsewhere, it’s just lava rocks. Look for “Zona Balnear” on the maps — these spots have slightly improved access to the water and concrete slabs to lie down and sunbathe. But really, people don’t come to Terceira or the Azores for beach vacations; that’s more for locals. Although, in the heat, it’s nice to take a short break and cool off.
Miradouro da Serra de Santa Barbara
The summit of Mount Santa Barbara. You can take a photo next to the road sign “Santa Barbara” — kind of like being in California.
The view covers the other half of Terceira. On a clear day, you can see the calderas, the neighboring island of São Jorge, and the summit of Mount Pico on another island. If it’s very cloudy, don’t bother going — you won’t see anything; the mountain will be completely in the clouds. I’m telling you from experience, so no photo here. Just before leaving, the wind cleared the clouds, but I was too lazy to get the camera out. Trust me, the view is amazing.
I’ve marked only some of the interesting spots. On the roads between these viewpoints, there are plenty of beautiful landscapes.
Heading to the next islands. Up ahead: São Jorge, Pico, Faial, and São Miguel.
As they say — to be continued…
