This historic capital of the Island of Terceira is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of three regional capitals in the Azores along with Horta and Ponta Delgada.
This important port town and old 16^th century fort have been strategically important to both Portuguese and Spanish merchants and traders over the centuries using the city’s sheltered harbour as a stop-off point between Africa, Europe and the West Indies and Americas.

The explorer Vasco da Gama buried his brother here in 1499 after his long voyage to India, while in the 17^th century the port received Spanish galleons laden with treasure from the New World.

Its rapid growth as a maritime trading centre led to it being designated the first city in the Azores in the 1530s while Pope Paul III appointed Angra as a diocese with religious jurisdiction over the rest of the archipelago.
Angra went on to play important roles in the history of Portugal during the Succession Crisis of 1580 when it refused to accept Phillip of Spain’s suzerainty and supported the alternative candidate to the Portuguese throne, Antonio I, who established a government in exile here for two years between 1580 and 1582.

Later when the Portuguese monarchy was restored in the Restoration of 1640, the town forced out the Spanish occupiers who had taken control of the Monte Brazil Fort and for its pains was awarded the title ‘Ever Loyal City’ by King Joao IV in 1641.
Later on another Portuguese king, Afonso VI, took refuge in the fort from 1669 to 1684 after being deposed by his brother King Pedro II.

Interestingly enough the port of Angra was given the suffix Heroismo (Heroism) by Portuguese Queen Maria II in the 19th century in recognition for its part in the Liberal parliamentary struggles that took place early in the 19^th century following the Peninsular Wars in which the city became a focus of Liberal support and as such was dubbed the Constitutional Capital of the Kingdom during the Portuguese Civil War of 1828-1834.

The city also proved a refuge for the same briefly exiled queen between 1830 and 1833 and the writer, orator and politician João Baptista da Silva Leitão de Almeida Garrett, during the Peninsular Wars, while naturalist and evolutionary theorist Charles Darwin visited the island on the HMS Beagle in 1836 before going on to Sao Miguel and famously stating “Nothing of interest here to report.” The city suffered considerable damage, now restored, during the terrible earthquake in 1980.

Places to See

Monte Brazil
A fabulous view over the Angra Bay is to be had from the top of this volcanic crater which is also a popular picnic site.

Sao Joao Baptista Castle
This castle was built during the Spanish Occupation between 1580 and 1640 as both an armoury and treasury and is still used by the Portuguese armed forces to this day. It boasts wonderful views over the surrounding bay and countryside.

Alto da Memoria
Another high point from which to admire the town below are the two twin church towers of Angra’s main church or Se which dates from the 16th century and was restored in the 1980s after a fire.

Angra do Heroismo Museum
Tells the history of the city and island as well as having an impressive collection of arms, maps, painting and sculpture. Afterwards why not take a stroll around the peaceful and charming gardens which were once part of the Sao Francisco Convent.

Sulphur Geysers & Caverns
The island of Terceira has numerous natural wonders as a result of past volcanic activity and these include not only the huge 3km wide Caldeira de Guilherme Moniz crater but also enormous underground caverns at Algar do Carvao and the dramatic and steamy Sulpher Pools and Geysers surrounded by mud and rock sediment in spectacular colours.

Wine Museum
The island of Terceira has a long wine growing tradition using a Portuguese cast of grape known as Verdelho, which is also used in Madeira wines and white Port wine in the Douro Valley. The wine used to be exported to Russia in the 19th century where it was popular at the Russian court. At the Wine Museum at Biscoitos you can sample some of these wines and buy a few bottles to take home.

São Miguel is the main island in the Azores archipelago and Ponta Delgada is its bustling capital. Many travellers have landed here and been awed by the immense green of its forests and pastureland: Hydrangeas adding splashes of colour to the background and grazing cows in the foreground create a picture fit for a postcard.

Ponta Delgada is the largest and most visited city in the Azores. White-washed houses and buildings, 17^th and 18^th Century convents and churches decorate its rolling hills. Cobbled streets and small squares are found around the centre, where there is also a large boulevard, which is perfect for evening seaside walks.

Today, Ponta Delgada is the most developed city in the Azores, with fantastic historic buildings, smart restaurants and great hotels providing comfortable accommodation. It started off as a humble fishing community and gained importance from 1522, following an earthquake that destroyed the island’s former capital, Vila Franca do Campo. It was King João III that gave Ponta Delgada its city status in 1546. Throughout the 16^th, 17^th and 18^th centuries, the busy port became an obligatory stopping and supply station for ships en route from the Mediterranean, Portugal and Africa to the Americas and the West Indies.

Visit Ponta Delgada and the island of São Miguel, a fascinating part of the Azores.

Places to See

Religious Architecture

Igreja de São Sebastião (Saint Sebastian’s Church)
Founded in the 16^th Century, this church has been built in the Late Gothic style with a splendid Manueline main doorway. The sacristy is decorated with beautiful blue azulejo tiles and the fine 17^th Century fixtures, fittings and pews are made from Brazilian jacaranda wood.

Igreja do Colégio dos Jesuítas (Jesuit College Church)
With its dark grey basalt and whitewashed Baroque facade, this building resembles a smart aristocratic town house more than a former religious institution. This church is also known as the All Saints’ Day church as its first stone was laid on All Saints’ Day (1st November 1592). It belonged to the Order of the Jesuits until the famous Portuguese Prime Minister, Marquês de Pombal, expelled them in the mid-18^th Century and plundered its once famous collection of treasures.

Museums

Museu Carlos Machado (Carlos Machado Museum)
This museum tells the story of the local agricultural and fishing communities over the centuries. It was installed in the old Mosteiro de Santo André (Saint Andrew Monastery) and its numerous exhibits include some outstanding paintings by local artist, Domingos Rebelo (1891–1975). There is also a natural history section with an impressive model of the island.

Historical Sites

Praça 5 de Outubro (5th of October Square)
This square is dominated by a marvellous Renaissance Fortress, the Fortaleza de São Brás, which was restored in the 19^th Century. Around this square is also the impressive Convento da Esperança (Hope Convent), which contains a magnificent choir decorated with azulejos dating from the 18^th Century. The Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres Festival, held on the fifth Sunday after Easter, is renowned for its large procession, when a statue of Christ, dressed in a red tunic emblazoned with diamonds and gold, is carried through the crowds. The convent’s church houses this famous statue and several other religious treasures that are worth a visit.

Jardim António Borges (António Borges Gardens)
This romantic garden is one of the largest and most lush areas in Ponta Delgada. António Borges Medeiros was an avid amateur botanist in the 19^th Century, interested in introducing new species to the island. His property became an extremely rich and interesting garden, providing a beautiful walk for those who enjoy being surrounded by natural and serene beauty.

Nature

Lagoa das Sete Cidades (Seven Cities Lake)
The Seven Cities Lake is formed by two large lakes that fill the massive crater of a dormant volcano. Legend tells the story of a young princess, the daughter of a strict widowed King, who fell in love with a shepherd boy and was forbidden to see him. The day the princess informed the young boy of the king’s decision, they both cried, forming two lakes: one, green, the colour of the Princess’s eyes and the other, blue, the colour of the boy’s eyes. From the Pico do Carvão one can enjoy fabulous panoramic views over the Lagoa das Sete Cidades.

Vale das Furnas (Furnas Valley)
Here you will find the Caldeira das Furnas, where you can explore the hot springs or try the Furnas stew. You can also enjoy breathtaking views of a large lake and the extravagant vegetation. Head down to the Terra Nostra Park, where exotic plants and trees live next to lakes and rivers with spring water. A natural swimming pool with iron-rich water provides an unusual swim.

Lagoa do Fogo (Lake of Fire)
This is the second largest lagoon on São Miguel island. In 1974 it was classified as a natural reserve in order to maintain its unique and wild beauty. It is located in the centre of the island and occupies an extinct volcanic crater. Take one of the pedestrian routes, which will take you to some of the best viewpoints, then head down to the white sandy beach found inside the crater, which is surrounded by lush green vegetation.