This attractive and historic town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site
in 1983, in recognition of the strategic role the port has played in the
Atlantic. For over three centuries the town was a stopover point on the
routes between Europe, America and Africa. It was here in 1499 that Vasco da
Gama buried his brother Paulo after their pioneering journey to India, and
in the early 17th century its harbour glittered with Spanish fleets
returning laden with treasure from the Americas. Maria II gave the town its
name for the bravery (heroísmo)  it demonstrated during the
struggles for Liberalism in the early 19th century. Despite the severe
damage caused by an earthquake in 1980, the city’s wealthy past is reflected
in the pretty streets lined with monumental churches and balconied
houses.

The most spectacular view of the harbour is from Monte
Brasil , a volcanic crater on the western side of the bay. Beside
this popular picnic spot stands the fort, Castelo de São João
Baptista , built during Spain’s annexation of Portugal as a treasure
store, and still in military use. A second rewarding viewpoint is from the
Alto da Memória  at the south end of Rua São João de
Deus, from where the twin towers of the 16th-century Sé 
(restored after a fire in 1983) are easily seen. A path leads down into the
Jardim Municipal , the city’s restful public gardens.
These once formed part of the 15th-century Convento de São Francisco which
now houses the Museu de Angra do Heroísmo . The museum’s
exhibits reflect the history of the Azores and the city and include armour,
maps, paintings and sculptures.

Terceira is a large, oval-shaped island with a gentle green interior of
forested hills and farmland. Its centre bears witness to its volcanic
origins: the Caldeira de Guilherme Moniz  is an eroded
crater 3 km (2 miles) wide, the largest in the Azores. Nearby, the Algar do Carvão  is a dramatic volcanic blast-hole, thick
with dripping moss where visitors can tour an enormous subterranean cave.
West of here, the Furnas do Enxofre  are hot steaming
geysers where the heavy sulphur vapours crystallize into brightly coloured
formations.

Two viewpoints overlooking the island can be reached by car: in the west, a
road bordered with blue hydrangeas winds up through the Serra
de Santa Bárbara  to a vast lonely crater at 1,022 m (3,353 ft),
while the eastern Serra do Cume , at 545 m (1,788 ft),
overlooks the airport and Praia da Vitória . This port has
a large bay with a sandy beach. Its name pays tribute to a famous victory in
1581 when the Spanish attempted to seize the island at Baía da Salga, 10 km
(6 miles) south, and were thwarted by the release of a herd of cattle onto
the shore. On the north coast, Biscoitos  (which means
biscuits) takes its name from the rubble of biscuit-like lava spread along
the shore. Exhilarating swimming pools, popular in the summer, have been
created amongst the rocks. The area is also known for its wine, and the land
is covered in a chessboard of stone-walled pens (curraletas)  built to shelter vines. The friendly Museu do Vinho  explains the simple production methods used to
produce the rich verdelho  wine that was once exported to
the Russian court, and provides an opportunity to taste and purchase today’s
vintages.