The lilac island · Central group
Terceira
Terceira’s Angra do Heroísmo is a UNESCO World Heritage town. The island covers 400 km². Arrive by air from Lisbon or Porto, or by ferry.
Terceira facts
- Island group
- Central, with Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico and Faial
- Airport
- Terceira (TER)
- Area
- 400 km²
- Highest point
- Serra de Santa Bárbara, 1,021 m
- Population
- about 53,244
Terceira weather now
Observed 6 October 2026 at 19:00, Azores timeAngra do Heroísmo inland, 121 m
20.7° · 70% hum.
Ribeira das Nove the uplands, 719 m
15.3° · 99% hum.
Serra do Cume the uplands, 470 m
17.5° · 99% hum.
Weather differs between the coast and the uplands. 5.4 °C between the warmest and the coolest station right now. Three IPMA stations on Terceira.
Places on Terceira
Algar do Carvão
Algar do Carvão is a volcanic chimney in the island’s centre. It is closed for maintenance.
Serra do Cume
Serra do Cume overlooks a patchwork of walled fields. The viewpoint sits on a caldera rim.
Biscoitos
Biscoitos has lava pools with vineyards behind. The linear Malha Grande to Biscoitos walk, PR09TER, covers 14.4 km.
Tours from Terceira
Walks on Terceira
14 of 15 marked routes open right now, read from the regional trail network on 6 October 2026.
- open
Grande Rota do Oeste GR01TER
Linear, hard, 10 h · 31.2 km
- open
Malha Grande - Biscoitos PR09TER
Linear, medium, 3 h 30 min · 14.4 km
- open
Rocha do Chambre PRC06TER
Circular, medium, 2 h 30 min · 8.7 km
- open
Matas da Agualva PRC14TER
Circular, medium, 2 h 30 min · 7.7 km
- open
Monte Brasil PRC04TER
Circular, medium, 2 h 30 min · 7.5 km
How to get to Terceira
By air
Fly to Terceira Airport (TER). TAP Air Portugal serves Lisbon and Porto. Its San Francisco flights are seasonal. Azores Airlines serves Boston and Funchal. Its Toronto Pearson flights are seasonal. Edelweiss Air flies from Zurich in season.
Between the islands
Atlânticoline ferries call at Angra do Heroísmo and Praia da Vitória.
Plan your visit
Getting around
Terceira covers 400 km². I’d take an island tour beyond Angra.
How long to stay
The 31.2 km Grande Rota do Oeste takes 10 hours. It is a hard linear walk. I’d leave separate time for Angra and a whale watching trip.
Best time
Flights from Toronto Pearson, Zurich and San Francisco are seasonal. I’d check dates before booking a stay.
Roman Antonov, editor
I live in Portugal and I love these islands. The weather here is read live from IPMA stations; prices and tour details come from Viator, dated on each page.