Hello there! If you are looking for someone to guide you through all the fantastic things you can to din Terceira, you have come to the right place! In this posting I will list the Top 8 Things to do in Terceira, the Azores. This list consits of breathtaking viewpoint where you can see green fields meeting the blue ocean, cliffs and ladscapes, shaped by volcanic activity and charming pastel hued cities. Terceira is truly a place of wonder and wild beauty. There are many things to see and experience in Terceira and I can’t wait to show them to you!
For those who don’t know it yet, Terceira is one of the islands of the Azores archipelago. If you are wondering how to spend 14 days in the Azores, you can simply check out my Azores Travel Guide. That itinerary spans three islands and I also cover all the top things to do in São Miguel and the top things not to miss when traveling to São Jorge!
This post contains sponsored links and affiliate links. Sponsored Links are links that a company paid me to insert. An affiliate links means that if you click on the products and book your tour or hotel via this link, I can get a commission. By doing so, you are doing me a huge favor, making it easier for me to be financially able to keep providing travel content for you! So it would mean the world to me, if you would book your hotels and tours via my links. Of course this comes with no additional costs for you!
FAQ on Traveling Terceira
How to get to Terceira?
To get to Terceira, you can fly to the Lajes airport (TER).
How do you get around in Terceira?
Although I love traveling by using public transport, I have to say that the fastest and easiest way to get around Terceira is to rent a car. It gives you more freedom, flexibility, and the ability to visit places that buses don’t go. One place where you can rent cars on Terceira is Azores Rental Cars.
What to Wear and Pack for Traveling the Azores?
Even when traveling to Terceira in summer, you have to pack some weather-resistant clothing. On the Atlantic, you can never predict the weather, and even in June, we had some crazy rainfall and storms. The best thing you can do is to wear a few layers, which you can take on and off according to the situation.
What to Eat When Visiting Terceira?
As an island, Terceira is most certainly a paradise for seafood lovers. One place I loved to have lunch at was the Restaurante O Pescador in Praia da Vitória. However, it is also a paradise for steak lovers, as it is home to a huge cattle industry.
1. Angra do Heroísmo – The City of Pastels
You might not believe it but in case you didn’t know that, when visiting the Azores, you can visit a former capital of Portugal. During the Portugese Civil War Angra do Heroísmo was temporarily used as the capital city. The colorful and vibrant city is truly a gem and a must-do when visiting Terceira!
Besides wandering the endless lovely streets and alley and admiring the pastel colored houses they are framed by, the best thing you can do is to visit the Duke of Terceira Gardens and walk up all the way to the Memória a D. Pedro IV. When doing this you will walk through the most colorful and incredible park with your destination being the loveliest viewpoint. Apart from this viewpoint, you can also visit the gorgeous harbour for some promenading and seeing the Igreja da Misericórdia. Oh how lovely is Angra!
2. Miradouro da Serra do Cume
What I love about Terceira is the gorgeous open rolling green landscapes. Occupied by cows and other cattle, these green fields are incredibly gorgeous. One of the best times to see it it during the golden hour, the hour before sunset and of course, during sunset. The best places to see it are without doubt, the many increidble “miradouros” or also viewpoints. One of the most impressive ones is the Miradouro da Serra do Cume.
3. Parque das Frechas
What I love about traveling Terceira and the Azores in general is that wherever you are, if you take a few steps in the right direction, you step into a little jungle. Visiting the Parque das Frechas is exactly that. It is a small park you can visit for a stroll. Here you can climb and jump over small rivers and chase a waterfall! It is also the ideal place to have a little snack and a coffe to go, so make sure to bring some and pick up after finishing your stuff!
4. Miradouro da Serra de Santa Bárbara
The Miradouros in Portugal are a special kind! This one here is my favorite in Terceira because it just so breathtaking. To get there, we drove all the way up and enjoyed the – sometimes cloudy – view. Right there, you can see the coast of Terceira island and the ocean on one side and its hills and other landscapes on the other. You maybe have to wait to some clouds to pass every now and then to take in the entire view!
5. Furnas do Enxofre
As the Azores are created by so called hot-spot volcanoes, it is almost obvious that when traveling the Azores you will stumble upon volcanic activity that continues to shape the archipelago to this day. My favorite place in Terceira to see the volcanic activity are the Furnas do Enxofre, a park that you can visit and take a stroll on wooden paths, walking through a small labyrinth of chimneys where steam is coming out of the earth. This whole place can get really smelly, as the steam has sulfur in it.
6. Miradouro de Alagoa
The Azores are an amazing place to go on all different type of hikes and getting to the Miradouro do Raminho was a great one! The coastal hiking trail takes you through green fields, along some friendly cows until you reach the ocean where you can see this incredible rock formations. They reminded me of those you can find in Iceland and I just love how you can find similarities between places!
7. Algar do Carvão
Let’s continue to talk about the volcanic places of Terceira! The Algar do Carvão is a volcanic crate that even tho the volcano erupted is almost totally intact. This created a magnificent cave you can now walk into! It is quite breathtaking and one of the top things to do in Terceira.
8. Miradouro do Raminho
This next miradouro is your sunset watching spot for another evening in Terceira! The Miradouro do Raminho is a place that I found rather on accident by driving by. It is a gorgeous place, covered in colourful flowers and it has a peaceful, serene atmosphere.
