Visit Terceira island – Territory, history and geography

When you visit Terceira Island you will get to know one of the most beautiful islands in the Azores, and one of the most accessible and with the most infrastructure to receive visitors. With a capital, Angra do Heroísmo, recognized as a UNESCO Heritage Site, and with a volcanic landscape full of stunning landscapes and sites of geological interest, Terceira island has established itself as one of the main tourist destinations in the Azores and is gaining more and more prominence on a national and even international level. To visit Terceira island is mandatory on your next trip to Azores islands.

• Check out our post with travel tips to visit Terceira island.

Visit Terceira island – The territory

When you visit Terceira island you should be aware of its location and territory. Terceira Island is the third largest island in the Azores and has around 55,000 inhabitants, a substantially larger population than Pico Island (which is the second largest island in the Azores), but still less than half the population of São Miguel. Terceira island is at the eastern end of the central group, being the island in this group closest to São Miguel, approximately 170 km away. The main towns on Terceira island are Angra do Heroísmo and Praia da Vitória.

• Check out our post with all the tips to visit São Miguel island.

Visit Terceira island – The history

Historically, the settlement of Terceira Island began around 1460, having been for a long time the administrative center of the “Terceiras Islands”, as the Azores archipelago was known (as it was the third archipelago to be discovered in the Atlantic, after the Canaries and Madeira), hence its name (“Terceira” is third in Portuguese). When you visit Terceira island, getting to know its history is also one of the attractions of your trip.

Terceira island as “capital” of Portugal

Terceira island’s central location in the archipelago and in the Atlantic played a strong role in its political importance. During the succession crisis in 1580, the people of Terceira island fought against the union with Spain, having hosted one of the claimants to the throne of Portugal, Dom António I, (illegitimate) grandson of king Dom Manuel I, from where he ruled but never managed to be officially recognized. After an initial azorean victory, Spanish forces invaded and defeated the Portuguese in 1583, when D. António I was no longer on Terceira island.

It was also on Terceira island (in Praia da Vitória) that, in 1829, an important battle between “Miguelists” (supporters of the so-called “Miguelism”, who fought for the permanent legitimacy of the former infant Dom Miguel of Bragança in the line of succession to the Portuguese throne) and liberals (supporters of Dom Pedro IV, also known as Dom Pedro I, first emperor of an independent Brazil) took place, which was decisive for the victory of liberalism in Portugal. D. Pedro settled in Angra do Heroísmo before heading to the mainland.

The Cold War in Terceira island

The strategic position of Terceira island also explains the importance of the Lajes Base, located in the northeast of Terceira island, operated by the Portuguese Air Force but also used by the United States Air Force. Construction began in the 1930s, but it was after the end of World War II and the agreement with the USA that the Lajes Base became a fundamental vertex on the Americans’ geopolitical board, especially in the context of the “Cold War” with the USSR, and a driver of the island’s economy, with many inhabitants depending directly or indirectly on the activity at the Base. Although the American presence has diminished in recent years on Terceira Island, even today that part of the island seems like a world of its own and worthy of getting to know when you visit Terceira Island.

World Heritage in Terceira island

In 1983, the city of Angra do Heroísmo was classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, with its historic center considered an architectural complex of exceptional heritage value. Today, the island of Terceira asserts itself as one of the main tourist destinations in the Azores and Angra do Heroísmo is mandatory when you visit Terceira island.

Visit Terceira island – The natural landscape

Like the other islands in the Azores archipelago, Terceira island has a rich geodiversity and an important geological heritage, made up of places of scientific, educational and tourist interest, encompassed in the Azores Geopark. When you visit Terceira island, enjoy its geomorphology, dominated by three large volcanic massifs, Cinco Picos, Guilherme Moniz-Pico Alto and Santa Bárbara, running across the island from east to west.

Cinco Picos volcano in Terceira island

The Cinco Picos Volcano (Five Peaks) was a large stratovolcano, partially dismantled by tectonic action, with a maximum altitude of 500 m above mean sea level at the highest point of Serra do Cume. There is a large volcanic caldera, the Caldera of Cinco Picos, measuring around 7 km in diameter, between the mountain ranges Serra do Cume and Serra da Ribeirinha, one of the most spectacular and beautiful landscapes in Terceira island and in the entire Azores archipelago. Not to be missed when you visit Terceira island.

Guilherme Moniz – Pico Alto Massif in Terceira island

In the Guilherme Moniz – Pico Alto massif, in the center of Terceira island, there are two of the most impressive volcanic cavities in the entire Azores archipelago, Algar do Carvão, a volcanic sinkhole (an old chimney for the ejection of eruptive material that did not collapse completely when the lava retreated), and the Gruta do Natal (Christmas Grotto), actually a lava tube (a cave formed by the flow and cooling of lava, solidifying in the form of a tube). Not to be missed when you visit Terceira island.

Serra de Santa Bárbara in Terceira island

The mountain range Serra de Santa Bárbara is located in the extreme west of Terceira island, being what remains of an inactive volcano, constituting the highest area of Terceira island, with the highest point at 1021 meters above sea level. For this reason, it is the area with the greatest cloud condensation on the island of Terceira, making it not easy to admire the landscape with a clear sky. But you should nevertheless try it when you visit Terceira island! The road goes to the summit, and at the top there is a Natural Forest Reserve, highlighting a caldera with a diameter of around 2 km and a depth of approximately 150 m, the Black Lagoon, and the “Black Mysteries”, associated with the first phase of the historic eruption of 1761.

Recent volcanism on Terceira island

Although the last eruption in the Azores was a (submarine) eruption off Serreta, on the island of Terceira, in 1998-2001, the truth is that the greatest volcanic activity on Terceira island dates back hundreds of thousands and even millions of years. For example, the activity of the Cinco Picos Volcano occurred around 3.5 million years ago, being associated with the emergence of the primitive structure of the island of Terceira. In the historical period of human occupation of Terceira island, the 1761 eruption in the central area of the island, on the eastern flank of the Santa Bárbara Volcano, stands out.

Interestingly, between the islands of Terceira and São Miguel there is a submarine volcano, called Banco D. João de Castro, whose peak is currently 12 m deep and which, as a result of volcanic activity, became temporarily a small island in 1720. They say it will be the next one of the Azores archipelago!

If you are going to visit Terceira island in the Azores, these are our posts that you shouldn’t miss:

• AZORES ISLANDS – Travel to Portugal’s best kept secret – Introduction to the nine islands of the Azores and their characteristics; practical tips for visiting Portugal’s best kept secret.

• SÃO MIGUEL ISLAND – What not to miss when visiting the Azores – Tips for visiting São Miguel island, a paradise in the Atlantic; how to get around, where to sleep, what to do and see and places not to miss.

• São Miguel itinerary – Road trip for 5 or 7 days in the Azores island – All the tips for a São Miguel itinerary, bringing together the best of the Azores island, for a 5 or 7 days road trip.

• Visit Terceira island – Territory, history and geography – Guide to visit Terceira island in the Azores; the territory, history and geography of this beautiful and diversified Azores island.

• Terceira island travel tips – Travel tips to start planning your trip; when to go, how to get there, how to get around, travel insurance and where to stay. Ideal to plan your visit to Terceira island.

• Terceira island itinerary – 5 days itinerary on this beautiful Azores island, covering the island’s main attractions. Ideal to plan your visit to Terceira island.

• Where to stay on Terceira island – The best hotels and places to stay on Terceira island. Ideal to plan your visit to Terceira island.

• Terceira island best viewpoints – Best spots to enjoy the spectacular landscapes of this beautiful Azores island. Ideal to plan your visit to Terceira island.

• Terceira island volcanoes – Best spots and landscapes to enjoy and understand the volcanic nature of Terceira island.

• Terceira island culture & heritage – Best places to learn about Terceira island culture & heritage, UNESCO heritage town of Angra do Heroismo, religious and historical places on the island. Ideal to plan your visit to Terceira island.

• Terceira island beaches, bathing areas and natural pools – Terceira island best beaches and bathing areas, including natural swimming pools, the best places in the island to enjoy the sea and sun. Ideal to plan your visit to Terceira island.

• Terceira island best restaurants – Best places on Terceira island to taste Azores traditional food, fish, seafood and meat. Ideal to plan your visit to Terceira island.