Hi there,
As we liked São Miguel so much, we decided to continue our trip to the Azores and this time we spent 6 days in Terceira.
Here are the details of our planning:
5th September
- Monte Brasil Trail (7.5km)
- Angra do Heroísmo
- Fortress of São João Batista, Panoramic Walk of the Bays
- Silveira bathing area
6th September
- São Sebastião Fort Trail (12km)
- Riviera Beach
- Vitória Beach
- Facho Viewpoint
7th September
- Mistérios Negros Trail (4.9km)
- Passagem das Bestas trail (4km)
- Furnas do Enxofre
- Lagoa das Patas
8th September
- Baías da Agualva Trail (8km)
- Terceira Waterfalls Trail (3km)
- Gruta do Natal
- Algar do Carvão
- Serra de Santa Bárbara viewpoint
- Pico Matias Simão viewpoint
9th September
- Serreta-Lagoinha Trail (6.8km)
- Negrito bathing area
- Cinco Ribeiras Bathing Area
- Quatro Ribeiras bathing area
- Biscoitos Natural Swimming Pools
10th September
- Rocha do Chambre Trail (9km)
Now I’ll tell you about my experience.
The hiking routes of the first two days seemed to me a bit ugly (or not special). One good thing was that on the first day we saw a deer on Mount Brasil.
Angra do Heroísmo is a colorful town, and I find it much prettier compared to Ponta Delgada.
Riviera beach and Vitória beach are among the few sandy beaches on the island.
The bathing areas I liked the most were Biscoitos and Zona Balnear das Cinco Ribeiras.
The Miradouro Serra de Santa Barbara is the one I liked the most because you can see almost the whole island from there. Of course, keep in mind that the weather there is very changeable. We arrived and it was sunny and after 10 minutes everything was covered with fog and it started to pour.
On September 7 I started to like the island because the 2 hiking trails we did were beautiful.
In the afternoon it rained, and we only had time to see the Furnas do Enxofre (which practically nothing can be seen) and the Lagoa das Patas, which is nothing special either. What is charming is the forest that surrounds it.
On September 8 we took advantage of the weather because there was no rain.
The hiking route was also nice, and the Trilho das Cascatas da Terceira can be avoided if you don’t have too much time.
Gruta do Natal and Algar do Carvão are the two most typical things of the island. Both are tunnels that were formed by volcanic lava. If you visit both the cost is 15 euros.
The Gruta do Natal is smaller and can be visited in 15 minutes. This one is more natural as it has little construction.
In contrast, Algar do Carvão is impressively large, but it is all built, so it loses a bit of charm.
The Trilho Serreta-Lagoinha is also spectacular and the Trilho Rocha do Chambre was like being in a Disney movie.
Unlike when we went to São Miguel, the trip to Terceira was great because the plane was empty and there was no line to wait for the car we had rented.
We were surprised that they did not check the car either to give it to us or when we returned it.
During our stay we were alone on almost all the hiking trails. In the beach areas and in the caves we did encounter tourists, mostly Germans.
I think it’s best to visit the Azores in spring to see the hydrangeas at their peak; plus, you get to enjoy the even greener landscapes.
In 6 days, we saw the island almost completely. If you are short on time, I would stick to hiking routes and skip cities and bathing areas.
From September 7 onwards the hiking trails we did were magical and virtually uncrowded. Unlike São Miguel, Terceira is quieter and has less tourism.
In addition, on this island almost all the routes we did were on volcanic rock trails.
Like São Miguel and Madeira, for example, there are practically no sandy beaches. There are only bathing areas that have been built into the rock and consist of stairs or a cement ramp to enter the water.
As in the rest of Portugal, people drive very badly and park wherever they want without even remotely respecting the traffic rules.
The day we arrived we were horrified by the markets we found, they were small, there was nothing and the fruit and vegetables were all rotten. The only decent supermarket was the Continente in Angra do Heroísmo; there was nothing else on the rest of the island.
As for capital cities, I found Angra do Heroísmo prettier and more colorful than Ponta Delgada. In the rest of the island the towns were ugly, unlike in São Miguel where the towns were mostly beautiful, and the houses were all fixed up (you could see the purchasing power).
If I compare the two islands of the Azores that I have visited so far, I feel that São Miguel was more spectacular in terms of scenery and especially when we were in the car, it was idyllic to see everything covered with towering trees. On the other hand, in Terceira, when we were in the car, the landscapes were more like cattle ranching areas.
Expenses for 2 persons x 6 days:
- Flights: 347.16
- Hotel: 599.41
- Car rental: 293.54
- Gasoline: 40
- Supermarkets: 81.20
- Visits: 30
TOTAL: 1472.51 euros
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