What to do at Terceira island

Terceira Island

Explore the depths of the earth, get to know the house of one of the most important Portuguese writers of the 20th century, see an exhibition full of symbolism, imagine battles between pirates and corsairs or simply go for a walk and relax surrounded by nature. Terceira Island only ends when the traveler stops being a traveler…

 

Angra do Heroísmo Museum

Angra do Heroísmo Museum

Situated in a former Franciscan convent at the Historic Centre of Angra do Heroísmo – World Heritage Site – the museum is located here since 1969. The original building dates from the 17th century, featuring a cloister and a church of great architectural value, but it was rebuilt after the earthquake of January 1st, 1980. The reconstruction allowed the adaptation of the facilities to the current museum. Here one can find many of the information on the regional history, as well as ethnography, paintings, sculptures, furniture, clothing, transports, ceramics, musical instruments, toys, photographs, coins, and medals collections.

museu-angra.azores.gov.pt

 

Carmina Contemporary Art Gallery Dimas Simas Lopes

Carmina Contemporary Art Gallery Dimas Simas Lopes

This space is also part of the Angra do Heroísmo Museum. Recently inaugurated – October 9 – after its donation by Dimas Simas Lopes, former owner, who, besides being a renowned artist in the fields of painting and culture, also differentiated himself through his unique action regarding the promotion of Contemporary Art. Until March 2021, the gallery presents the exhibition “Symbologies – Paintings by Dimas Simas Lopes”, which includes two sets of works: “Azorean Breviary” and “Signs of Matter”, featuring “canvas of an enormous spiritual dimension in which the universality of ancestral symbols is impregnated by a strong regional experience creating an Azorean iconography heavily marked by the presence of the Divine.”
www.carminagaleria.com

 

S. João Baptista Fortress

S. João Baptista Fortress

S. João Baptista Fortress

S. João Baptista Fortress

This fortress is located inside the area classified as World Heritage, Monte Brasil. The construction dates to 1593, and it was built during the Spanish dominance, receiving then the name São Filipe Fortress. After the Portuguese Restoration of Independence, 1640, the Spanish troops remained at this location for eleven months until the acknowledgment of the Portuguese dominance, the time when it received its current name. It has almost 4 km of defensive walls, which also encompass Monte Brasil. Inside we can find São João Baptista Church, Santa Catarina Chapel, and the Governors’ Palace. It is also acknowledged as the biggest fortress built by Spain worldwide. It acted as coastal protection against the attacks and plunders of pirates and corsairs. During the period of dictatorship in Portugal, it was used as a political prison.

 

Monte Brasil Recreational Forest Reserve

Monte Brasil Recreational Forest Reserve

Monte Brasil is an extinct volcano that emerged from the sea and, for strategic defense reasons, forts were built here – as the already mentioned S. João Batista Fortress – but also during the Second World War, several anti-aircraft batteries were installed. Meanwhile, the location developed into a forest reserve – Monte Brasil Recreational Forest Reserve – where it is possible to find a vast botanical diversity, with entertainment equipment, making this a must-see site as it is the urban park of Angra do Heroísmo. From its top, we have a panoramic view of the south coast of the island and, when the sky is clear, it is possible to see São Jorge Island and behind it, Pico Mountain. If you look north, you can see the city of Angra do Heroísmo and the Ribeirinha, Morião, and Santa Bárbara mountains.

 

House Museum Vitorino Nemésio

House Museum Vitorino Nemésio

House Museum Vitorino Nemésio

The House Museum Vitorino Nemésio, located at Praia da Vitória, is an homage to one of the biggest Portuguese writers of the 20th century. Here, one can watch videos about the writer born in the Azores in December 1901. Vitorino Nemésio maintains in the memory of many Portuguese also for its television program “If I recall it correctly”. He is also the author of the novel “Stormy Islands – An Azorean Tale”, 1944. The action of the novel takes place in the islands of Faial, Terceira, Pico, and São Jorge, between 1917 and 1919, describing the Azorean society at that time. The house has some personal belongings of the author as well as several painted panels of the era. Some domestic utensils exhibited help in understanding how the daily life of the house would be. There is also space intended to establish a link with the Centro de Estudos Nemesianos of the University of the Azores, to allow a deeper study of the author’s work. It is also possible to visit a carpentry shop where the grandfather of Vitorino Nemésio worked.

Casa Vitorino Nemésio
Rua de São Paulo nº 7, Santa Cruz,
9760 Praia da Vitória

 

Natural Monument of Algar do Carvão

Natural Monument of Algar do Carvão

This is one of the few volcanoes which can be visited in the world. Algar do Carvão is situated in the central area of Terceira Island, approximately 12km North of Angra do Heroísmo, at an altitude of roughly 640 meters. It is the most famous volcanic cavity in the Azores where the visitor can enter the depths of the earth, just as the characters of Jules Verne did. There is no news of an unknown world in its interior, but it is a unique lifetime experience.

If you are a resident of the Azores, enjoy our “Azores Fare” to visit Terceira Island. Learn more on our website.

To read edition 8 of our inflight magazine Azorean Spirit click here.

Visit the official Tourism of the Azores website at www.visitazores.com.

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