10 Must-Do Things on Terceira, Azores (Best First-Time Guide)
Terceira is the third-largest island in the Azores and, despite being known as “the purple island”, it is filled with greenery! Between the beautiful Azores Marine Park, the nature parks, volcanoes, cows, waterfalls, and delicious food, there are some incredibly unique and fun things to do on this island!
From unique places to eat, fun excursions, and cool hikes around Terceira, these are 10 must-do experiences we recommend to first-time visitors. Whether you have a few days or a week on the island, you’ll hopefully be able to see and do most of the things on this list.
Whether you’re visiting Terceira – and the Azores – for the first time (or you’ve been before), we hope this guide will help you plan the best possible trip!
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10 awesome experiences to try on Terceira Island
Quick breakdown of your trip to Terceira
🚗 Best way to get around: Rent a car from Terceira Airport
🏡 Where to stay: We stayed at Terceira Mar Hotel in Angra do Heroísmo
🐬 Can’t-miss experience? This dolphin & whale watching trip is a must
The Azores in general are known for delicious food, and Terceira is the definition of that. We’ve got some pretty cool experiences in this list and places we found while exploring the island, so we hope you have the best time here.
#1 Visit the famous Queijo Vaquinha (Cheese factory)
It’s only fitting that we recommend the famous Queijo Vaquinha Cheese Factory first, since Terceira is known for its amazing cheese. As you drive around the island, you’ll really get a feel for the agricultural side of Terceira.
It’s a farming island, and the grass-fed dairy cows can be seen all over the island. So if you end up renting a car in Terceira and want to try some delicious cheese, then a stop at Queijo Vaquinha is totally worth it.
Queijo Vaquinha is quite close to Angra do Heroísmo (the main city on the island), so it’s perfect to stop if you’re doing a day trip out west. Make sure to try one of the cheese boards where you can sample all the different cheeses to see which one is your favourite, and mix it with their bread – it was so good!
#2 Whale Watching on Terceira
As we mentioned above, one of the absolute must-do experiences in Terceira is this dolphin & whale watching tour. The Azores have some of the most diverse marine life in the world, so this is an experience you simply can’t miss!
If you’re staying in Angra do Heroísmo, then you can conveniently walk to where the tour starts since it leaves straight from the Marina downtown.
The Azores, in general, are a very popular spot to go whale watching; there are a ton of different companies you can go with on all the different islands. On São Miguel, we went with Futurismo Azores Whale Watching, as suggested by the local tourism board, and the trip was fantastic (besides Dom’s seasickness).
If you’re visiting during the summer season (May through September), it’s best to book your tour in advance.
It’s good to plan it for your first morning here since, occasionally, the tours can get cancelled due to bad weather. This way, you have a buffer, and you’re able to reschedule to see whales and dolphins a different day while you’re on the island.
This specific whale watching tour that we recommend is around 3 hours long (which is pretty good given the fact that it only costs around €70).
#3 Coffee Cabana & Banana Eco Camp
If you love coffee (like we do!) and want to try some of the best coffee on the island, then Coffee Cabana is the place to go.
Coffee Cabana is also located just west of Angra do Heroísmo, so you can make a stop here before or after your trip to the cheese factory, or on your way to Mistérios dos Negros (more on this hike below).
This is not just an ordinary café – it’s a special little place on Terceira, and that’s why we’ve added it to this list of must-do things.
José, the owner, bought this piece of land and started growing coffee and bananas years ago, and finally, in 2019, he opened Coffee Cabana right here on this beautiful property. You can learn more about his story here.
When we spoke to him, he compared the quality of his coffee to that of Blue Mountains in Jamaica and Kona Coffee in Hawaii – quite the claim!
Aside from his Coffee Cabana, he also has these awesome eco-cabins among the banana trees that you can stay in if you’re looking for a unique stay on Terceira Island! It was raining SO much that we didn’t get photos of the outside. You’ll just have to trust us on this one…
🍌 PS: Because of their uniqueness, the Banana Eco Camp cabins book out quickly. If you know which dates you’ll be on Terceira, we suggest you book them in advance.
#4 Guided hike on the Misterios Negros Trail
Hiking is a must on Terceira because the volcanic landscape is so unique! We went on a guided hike with Azores On Route to the iconic Azores Cloud Forest (this is the exact tour we did) – and going with a local guide was very special because we learnt so much about the history and geology of the island.
We had an amazing guide (Pedro) for the trip, where we learnt more about the island and the Azores, which you simply don’t get by doing the hike on your own. He even told us about a few places to visit on the island too, which we ended up exploring after hiking this awesome trail.
If you end up renting a car on Terceira and enjoy doing the hike yourself, you can also go on your own. It’s a big loop trail that is relatively easy to follow – but without a guide, you do miss out on a local connection, and learning a lot about the island.
If this is what you decide to do, follow this trail guide that shows PR1 TER – Gruta do Natal e Mistérios Negros. It is a proper hike, though, so come prepared with the right footwear and clothes.
We hiked Misterios Negros in December and had some pretty crazy weather with a lot of rain, so the trail was quite muddy and messy to say the least! It gave us proper Twilight vibes, as you can see from our photos.
Hiking Tip: If you’re not going with a guide, always look up the trail on AllTrails before starting your hike 🗺️. You can find important trail information, such as recent wildlife sightings and trail closures. Check out the free version here or get a 7-day free trial of AllTrails+ here.
#5 Visit Quinta do Martelo and try ‘Alcatra’
Personally, I think this was one of our favourite experiences we did in Terceira. We have a full list of places to eat in Angra do Heroísmo, but Quinta do Martelo has to be number 1!
This Quinta (historic house) offers a mix of tradition, culture, and a unique gastronomic experience! I’d argue they serve the best Alcatra (slow-cooked beef stew, traditional to Terceira) – and that says something, because the food on this island is of very high standard!
Gilberto, the owner of Quinta do Martelo, and his staff truly make you feel like you’re having food in a traditional home, and it really takes you back in time. The soup, Alcatra, wine, and dessert are all delicious. I’m sure the rest is too, but that’s all we tried…for now! 😉
🏡 If you’re looking for a more agrotourism place to stay for a night or two, you can actually stay right here on the Quinta do Martelo property!
#6 Wine tasting around Terceira
Wine tasting, anyone? There’s a great full-day wine tasting tour that you can experience on the island. We, unfortunately, didn’t get a chance to go on the full-day tour, but we did go visit Materramenta Winery in Biscoitos on the North Side of the island, and we’ve never seen a vineyard like this before!
We knew that the Azores and Terceira are known for their wine, but we didn’t realize how different the production was here. Instead of growing on a hill like you usually see, they are using the volcanic rock to their advantage and have built it up in a way that supports both heat and airflow. It’s very interesting!
If you love wine and want to experience some Terceiran wine, then a visit to Materramenta or going on a full-day wine trip is worth adding to your itinerary.
#7 Visit Monte Brasil
Monte Brasil is the little peninsula you can see from Angra do Heroísmo. It’s quite a special place because it served as a defensive point back in the day, when Angra do Heroísmo was the capital city of Portugal.
You can take your car and drive to the top of the hill, which takes about 10 minutes from town. It’s a cool place to walk around and explore if you want to get some fresh air. It offers some stunning views of Angra and all the nearby peaks!
There’s beautiful greenery, nice walking trails(you can hike the PR04 Monte Brasil trail), deer and other wildlife, and even a section of the park full of cats (not sure why, but they were cute!).
#8 Check out the beautiful viewpoints around Terceira
Driving around the island is by far one of the best ways to explore and see some of the less-visited places on the island. Both on São Miguel and here on Terceira, cruising around the island is so much fun – and the views are incredible!
Since Terceira isn’t that big, you can easily connect a bunch of the best viewpoints into a day trip! Here are just a few of the ones we recommend visiting while driving around the island.
These are some of the viewpoints we suggest you visit:
- Serra do Cume (must-visit!)
- Miradouro da Memória
- Ponta do Queimado Viewpoint
- Serra de Santa Bárbara (highest peak on Terceira)
- Pico das Cruzinhas on Monte Brasil
- Miradouro do Facho
- Miradouro da Ponta das Contendas (great for sunrise)
- Miradouro do Fanal near the “I love Angra” sign
There are many, many more, and it’s going to be impossible to try to see them all during one visit, but these are some of the most beautiful ones in our opinion!
#9 Algar do Carvão Lava caves tour
It’s not every day you can explore a hollow volcano. This is actually one of the only places in the world, you can do this!
On this Algar do Carvão Lava Caves Tour, you’ll get a chance to gaze inside the famous Guilherme Moniz volcano, explore caves, and learn a thing or two from the local guide.
There are some cool and unique things to do on Teicer, but getting this up close to a volcano has to be at the top of the list. Unfortunately, it was still closed when we were there in December 2025, but it’s open again now! Check the available dates & times here.
#10 Swim in the natural pools
This is, unfortunately, another thing we didn’t get to do during our time here due to the season and weather (we visited on a rainy week in December) – but it’s something we’d love to do if/when we come back to Terceira.
There are some amazing natural swimming pools all the way around the islands, and the ones we wanted to check out were the following:
- Silveira Natural Swimming Pools
- Piscina Natural do Refugo (south east)
- Zona Balnear do Negrito (south)
- Piscinas Naturais Biscoitos (north)
- Zona balnear das Cinco Ribeiras (be extra careful with the waves here)
You can also go for a swim at the beaches, for example in Praia da Vitória (northeast), as well as Zona Balnear da Silveira and Zona Balnear da Prainha (Angra). Zona de Banhos do Fanal is another beautiful beach to check out next to Angra, but it’s a rocky beach, so it’s not quite as nice to swim from as the other two!
📍 Want to know all the best spots in Terceira?
We’re currently putting together a map with +50 locations around the island we know you’re gonna love (including all the ones from this post). Join the waitlist and be the first to know when it’s ready for purchase! 🗺️
Recap of the best things to do on Terceira
We hope you found this first-time guide to Terceira helpful! We tried to include the places you simply can’t miss, along with a few little gems, from delicious food to activities and viewpoints.
Terceira is stunning and has so much to offer. I feel like these 10 must-do things on Terceira are just scratching the surface of what this island has to offer, but for your first time on the island, these are some of the musts.
If you have questions about your time here – whether that be finding accommodation, renting a car, which tour guides to book with, or some of the day trips we recommend – please reach out.
Feel free to DM us on Instagram or leave a comment on this post, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. Have an amazing time exploring this island!
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