» Alcatra, a recipe of roasted cow beef, the Espírito Santo soup, the Caldeirada de Peixe (a fish and seafood stew).

» Sweets - The donas-amélias, the coscorões and the confeitos.

» Wines and liqueurs - The “Verdelho dos Biscoitos” is a typical liqueur wine, produced from specific grapes the area of Biscoitos, designated as a Quality Liqueur Wine Produced in Determined Region (V.L.Q.P.R.D). We also suggest the typical Angelica liqueur.

Terceira Island owes its name to the fact that it was the third island to be discovered, since the translation of “Terceira” is “third”, although initially it was called Jesus Christ Island. Terceira was populated around 1450 by Jácome Bruges, of Flemish origin.

Due to its privileged geographic position, Terceira Island was an important port of call for the Portuguese routes in the Atlantic Ocean and strengthened its importance as a commercial port in the 17th century because of the new route to India and the passage of the Spanish Army boats, loaded with gold, making their way back from Mexico and Peru towards Cadiz.

During the Liberal Wars, the island had an important role in the national political panorama, when in 1829 it hindered the landing of the Absolutists, against the Liberals, in the town of Praia. After this victorious event in favor of the Liberal cause, the Village changed its name to Praia da Vitória – Victory Beach.

Already during the XXth century, the Air Base 4 was constructed in Lajes, three kilometers from Praia da Vitória. This 3600 meters or 2 mile-long airport was the largest airport up until then in the Azorean archipelago. Air Base 4 still operates as a civil and military airport, being used mainly by the United States of America, under a cooperation agreement of defense.

Terceira Island has three pedestrian trails: the Serreta Trail, the Mistérios Negros Trail and the Monte Brasil Trail.

» The Serreta Trail – begins and ends in the Freguesia da Serreta and goes through a narrowing trail, filled with several varieties of local flora. On this trail, you can see a small lake- the Lagoinha, as well as a beautiful stream- the Ribeira do Além.

» Mistérios Negros Trail - the trail starts and finishes near the Gruta do Natal, close to the Lagoa do Negro. The pedestrian trail passes through bushes of cryptomeria (Japanese cedar) and heather, among other local vegetation. You will also be able to see the Lagoinha do Vale Fundo and the crater of Pico do Gaspar;

» Monte do Brasil Trail – this trail is offers an incomparable sight of the city and of the bay of Angra do Heroísmo.

For more information: http://www.trails-azores.com.

» Angra Heroísmo, the main city of Terceira, is classified as UNESCO World Heritage.

» Monte Brazil, with a beautiful view over the city and the sea, which is a protected landscape.

» Algar do Carvão, a lava tube about 100 meters deep, where you can enjoy the beauty of stalactites and stalagmites and a lagoon of crystal water.

» Furnas do Enxofre, Grutas dos Balcões, the Grutas das Agulhas and the Gruta do Natal, where you can explore the hidden depth of this island, giving you a different perspective of the natural treasures of the archipelago.

» Sanjoaninhas Festival, with lots of music and celebrations throughout the night, this is the biggest festival of the Azores, exemplifying the cheerful character and hospitality of the local people.

» Touradas à Corda, consists of a bullfighting challenge in which many people bravely risk their lives by facing a bull tied to a rope held by only 3 to 4 others. This celebration is a part of the cultural identity of the people from this Island and it is celebrated throughout the Island between the months of May and October.

On Terceira Island, as it happens in the rest of the Azores islands, Whale Watching is very common. You can observe the well known Sperm Whales, as well as other species of whales, dolphins, turtles, other marine species and sea birds.

There are daily departures from the island to observe the cetaceans via specialized companies in Whale Watching.

» Diving, fishing, scuba diving and hunting, favored due to the abundance and variety of fish on the coast of the island.

» Sailing, rowing, windsurfing and water skiing.

» For those who enjoy hunting, the region of Pico Alto is perfect for this activity.

» People interested in speleology (cave exploration) can go on a fascinating trip to the interior of the earth, in the caves and underground calderas, but always accompanied with a guide and proper equipment.