Terceira gets its name, unsurprisingly, from being the third largest island in the Azores archipelago. It’s the second largest island by population, and the largest of all in terms of chapels, festivals, and nightlife. While we were not destined to see the latter two, we spent our day exploring the island and visiting the scenic overlooks and dairy pastures before descending into the city of Angra do Heroismo, the oldest city of the Azores and a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site. Some took to a nearby volcanic remnant on the coast for an afternoon hike, while most of us enjoyed the scattered clouds and scenic streets of the town by foot.
4/9/2025
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São Miguel, Açores
Our last full day exploring the Açores took place on São Miguel, where we began our journey seven days ago. Having already visited six of the nine islands that make up the archipelago, we had the chance to make the most of the last day of our expedition with a couple of options. Each island has its own character, tastes, and history. We experienced as much as we could in our time here, from the delicious local Queijadas (small pastries), Açorean tea, and local culinary delicacy, cozido das furnas, which is a stew cooked in a geothermal bath. All groups visited Lagoa das Furnas (Furnace Lake), where our meals were cooked for seven hours. One group spent a good part of the day walking along a scenic and leisurely path around the lake. Another highlight was visiting the geothermally active site of Caldieras in the village of Furnas. Here, several active pools constantly spew steam and boil mud, as well as providing fourteen different types of mineral water…a constant reminder of this island’s fiery volcanic past.
