Terceira, another Azorian island we have visited, is different from the others again. When approaching by plane, you can see little fields of all shades of green, covering the whole island, even the slopes of little cones of volcanoes. It is very photogenic. Terceira also has its UNESCO listing, but it is, against all expectations, architectural. We only spent two nights here, so we must return and explore more.
The capital boasts a magnificent name: Angra do Heroismo, and rightly so. The city is full of palaces, colourful churches, green parks, and government buildings. Founded in the 16th century as an important merchant hub, it was the first city on the Azores.
It is one of the three regional capitals, together with Ponta Delgada on Sao Miguel and Horta on Faial. It even was the capital of the Portuguese monarchy for a brief period from 1828 to 1834, during the civil war. The fortress of Saint John the Baptist is still used by the military, but there is a park around which offers great city views. And at the foot of the hill, the most beautiful and biggest playground I have seen so far 🙂
If you take the bus to the airport, you’ll most probably have to change at Praia de Vittoria. Plan a bit of extra time to spend there, if possible. The beach is very nice and climbing up to the Miradouro do Facho offers nice views of the beach and also planes approaching the airport. And you can watch it from a swing suspended above a cliff.
