Angra do Heroísmo - Terceira Island

Angra, or Angra do Heroísmo is a city of some 21.300 people and municipality in Terceira Island in the Portuguese autonomous region of the Azores.
The municipality has a population of 35,581 and an area of 239.0 km² and is the largest and most important city in Terceira Island in the Azores. As a harbor city, Angra do Heroísmo lies in an open bay on the south coast of the island. Angra do Heroísmo was once the capital of the Azores until it was replaced in 1832 by Ponta Delgada. However, the city still retains its status as the cultural capital of the Azores, so rich in architectural and cultural heritage that it was classified as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1983.


Angra do Heroísmo was first settled in 1474 and quickly became an important commercial trading center thanks to its natural harbor. It was granted city status in 1534 and served as a port of call in the ensuing centuries for ships sailing to and from the Americas, Africa, and India. Angra do Heroísmo enjoyed great wealth during these years, especially in the early and mid 16th century when much of the city’s renaissance buildings were constructed. In the late 16th centuries, Angra do Heroísmo suffered Spanish occupation and was sacked a number of times. The city was retaken by the Portuguese in 1640 after the restoration of Portugal’s independence. In 1832, Angra do Heroísmo lost its status as capital to Ponta Delgada and its role and importance as an Atlantic port has declined substantially since then.


Much of Angra’s riches are found in its architectural, historical, and cultural heritage sites. Its streets exhibit one of the finest examples of Renaissance city planning rules. The baroque splendor of its churches, castles, and palaces shines brighter than the other Azores’ cities; the 17th century signature artistically-carved stones and wooden and iron balconies are found in many of Angra’s buildings. While a 1980 earthquake damaged some of the city’s buildings, restoration efforts have restored the important structures.


Several buildings like churches, palaces, manors, and castles are of interest. Renaissance churches like the Sé Cathedral, an impressive 16th century church employing a 15th century gothic style, the 16th century “Nossa Senhora da Conceição”, the 17th century “São Gonçalo”, and the 18th century “Misericórdia” are all marvelous constructions. The “Nossa Senhora da Guia” is a church worth visiting if only for its historical significance; it is the burial grounds of Paulo da Gama, Vasco da Gama’s brother, who was buried there after dying on his return from his first journey to India in 1499.

There are also a number of palaces, manors, and castles. The Capitães-Generais Palace was the residence of the Captain-Generals of the Azores and still remains intact today. The Solar de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios or da Família Canto is the old manor residence of the Navy Purveyor during the 16th and 17th centuries. Other manors include the “Corte-Reais”, “dos Sieuve de Menezes”, “Bettancourts”, and “da Madre de Deus”.

Having hosted its fair share of battles, Angra is also home to a number of old forts like the Italian-like 16th century São Sebastião Fort, which defends Angra’s port on the east side. The São João Baptista do Monte Brasil Fort is definitely worth a visit, as it was built during the Spanish era and served as the prison for the famous “Gungunhana” (the former King of Gaza in the late 19th century) and “Dom Afonso VI”.

The Alto da Memória is also a landmark that is a must-see; it is Angra do Heroísmo’s iconic monument, an obelisk built to commemorate Dom Pedro IV (the former Emperor of Brazil and King of Portugal).

Besides its myriad landmarks, Angra do Heroísmo is also a great place to catch the well-known theatre productions of “Alpendre” and “Outro Teatro”, both highly regarded in Europe. The city hosts large theatre festivals every year as well, like the Carnival Dances.

For a break from the sightseeing, the Monte Brasil peninsula offers a recreational area with breathtaking, scenic views of the coast. Angra do Heroísmo’s Municipal Gardens are not far from Monte Brasil either.

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Praia da Vitória - Terceira Island

Praia da Vitória is the second largest city on Terceira Island in the Azores, located on the eastern fringe of the island. Because it is so close to the American airbase in Lajes and the airport of Terceira, the city often finds itself serving as a base for tourists looking to explore Terceira Island. But few of the island’s visitors ever overlook Praia da Vitória itself – its natural beauty and cultural offerings too conspicuous to ignore. The city offers everything from cliff-sheltered beaches and sheltered dunes, to rustic countryside and old gothic and baroque architecture.


Praia da Vitória was first settled in the 15th century around its natural harbor. The city quickly became an important wheat producing center, as the “Ramo Grande” flatlands of Terceira Island around Praia da Vitória proved extremely fertile. In 1829, the city’s harbor was the scene of a naval battle in the “Liberal Wars” between the Portuguese Liberals and the Absolutists, the former supporting King Pedro IV and the latter supporting King Miguel. After the Liberals won decisively despite the Absolutists’ superior fleet of 21 ships, the town’s original name of Praia was changed by decree to Praia da Vitória (Victory Beach) in order to commemorate the impressive victory. Not too long afterwards, however, Praia da Vitória was partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1841 and had to be rebuilt. Another earthquake hit the city in 1980. Recently, a large oceanic port with a 1,400 meter jetty was completed, which should likely ensure the city’s continued prominence as a strategic port in the Azores.

Today, visitors find enough to see and do in Praia da Vitória. Hitting the beach is one of them; the Praia da Vitória beach is very long, sandy, and one of the most naturally-inviting beaches in the Azores. Needless to say, it is an extremely popular hangout for activities like swimming, surfing, sailing, yachting, diving, snorkeling, tanning, beach partying, and beach barbecuing. Windsurfing is a particular favorite in Praia da Vitória. The city’s seabreeze is strong and sweeping, often edging up against Praia’s low mountain ridges.


Visitors can also check out the city’s magnificent old architecture and landmarks. The 15th century “Matriz” church was the first on the island, founded by Jácome de Bruges, and like the 16th century “Senhor Santo Cristo” church has survived several earthquakes. The fortifications at Santa Catarina, Praia’s historic centre and 16th century town hall, and the lighthouse at Facho are all worthwhile sites as well. The latter was used during the city’s first 400 years as a lookout tower to guard against pirates and enemy ships but is no longer operable today.

For magnificent vista views of Praia da Vitória and its coast, there is a belvedere called Miradouro Riviera, which is located on the cape of Ponta do Cabo. The view atop the Miradouro Riviera circles 360° from Praia’s surrounding countryside to the Atlantic Ocean.

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Terceira Island - Portuguese: Ilha Terceira

Terceira Island ( Portuguese: Ilha Terceira) is an island in the Azores, in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, with an area of 396.75 km². The island's length is 29 km and the width is 18km; the perimeter is 90 km. Population is 54,996, down from a peak of 59,000. Population density is 140.73/km², its second most populated after São Miguel.


It is part of the central group of islands in the Azores archipelago. Terceira has a rich landscape characterized by green pastures, forests with luxuriant vegetation, scenic lakes, panoramic ridges, coastal cliffs, volcanic craters, and grottoes and caverns stocked with stalactites and stalagmites. Today, Terceira Island is the second most visited island of the Azores and a must-visit for vacationers of this Atlantic archipelago.

The history of Terceira dates back to 1450 when the island was first settled in the areas of Praia da Vitoria and Porto Judeu. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Terceira was an important port island for the ships sailing to the New World or India and back. During those periods, Terceira became a commercial center for the gold, silver, diamonds, furs, spices, and other various goods brought back to Europe. This led to several corsair attacks on Terceira by the English, French, and Spanish in the 16th and 17th centuries.


Between 1580 and 1640, the Spanish controlled Terceira and used it as a port of call for the Spanish ships bringing back loot from Peru and Mexico. But they were expelled when Portugal regained its independence in 1640. In the early 19th century, the island became a focal point for the political conflicts between the liberals and the absolutists of Portugal after the liberals established a base and regency on Terceira. The liberals were soon forced to defend an absolutist attempt to land on the island in 1829. Since the political conflict subsided in 1832, Terceira’s role in the Azores as an economic, strategic, and political center has declined steadily with São Miguel taking a more front-and-center stage.

Today, Terceira is a major destination of the Azores with a multitude of attractions. Its beaches, of course, are superb. The island is full of long stretched-out beaches like the Praia da Vitoria as well as smaller and cozier beaches with inlets and natural pools that are sheltered by volcanic rocks. Many of the smaller beaches like Porto Martins and Contendas are ideal if you are interested in just swimming while the larger ones like Praia da Vitoria are better suited for sailing, surfing, and yachting.


Terceira is also full of natural sites, especially volcanic craters. The Caldeira de Guilherm Moniz is the largest in the archipelago. Other sites include caves and caverns of stalactites and stalagmites like Agua and Cabrito as well as sulphuric fumaroles like Furnas do Enxofre. There are also vista peaks like at Mata da Serreta and the Serra da Santa Barbara as well as natural lakes like Lagoa do Negro and Lagoa do Ginjal.

Not to be forgotten, festivals also play an important role in Terceira's social culture; most of them take place between May and November. Ever popular are the music festivals like the “Angrajazz” in October and the “Ramo Grande Festival” in early November; both demonstrate the island’s love for music, especially Jazz. The “Festas of Praia da Vitoria” is another favorite, a gastronomical fair of cuisines concocted by the island’s many restaurants. This event takes place in the second week of August. The food at this festival are mostly traditional cuisine, featuring meat specialties like the Holy Ghost, alcatra, morcela (sausage), sarapatel (haggis), cozido, and caldeirada (fish stew). The cuisine in Terceira is known for its signature sweetness, whether with its meats, bread and biscuits, or potatoes.

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