West of Angra do Heroísmo the destruction was almost worse than in the city centre, some of the villages being virtually wiped out. New housing complexes may eventually turn into settled communities around terra Chit, Bartolomeu, Duas Ribeiras and Santa Barbara, but at the moment their stark newness is almost as shocking as the ruins. About two miles west of the city is the small fishing village of São Mateus looking back towards Monte Brasil. From here it is roughly another ten miles round the coast to Serreta.
The scenery round here is particularly attractive, densely wooded hills descending steeply into the sea with views in clear weather as far west as Graciosa, São Jorge and Pico. But Serreta’s main claim to fame is that Presidents Nixon and Pompidou met here in 1971 for a quiet tete-a-tete in the beautiful little hotel, Estalagem da Serreta.
Still following the coast, the road passes through several typically picturesque villages such as Altares in the north-west, famous for its touradas ci corda in summer when bulls with a rope round their neck pursue the locals through the streets to Biscoitos in the north. At Biscoitos, jagged black lava rocks surround a spectacular natural seawater swimming pool, well worth a visit even if you’ve left your swimsuit behind. Amid acres of vineyards, Biscoitos is also noted for its wine, though it has no special qualities to recommend it.
Sweeping on along the north coast through yet more attractive villages like Quatro Ribeiras, past dozens of gaily painted little chapels (imperios) which come to life during the processions of Festa do Espirito Santo (May, June), the main road eventually turns inland past the busy Aerogare and US Air Force base of Lajes, the base itself tucked tidily away on a ridge between runways and coast. Many of the houses around Lajes are occupied by USAF personnel and their families, as proclaimed by the Fords and old Chevrolets parked outside.
Just south of the base is Praia da Vitoria, with the best golden sandy beach in the archipelago. As hick would have it, although Praia was barely affected by the seismic shocks of 1980, the one building to suffer was the town’s 16th-century lgreja Matriz, its exhilarating, intricately decorated and gilded interior. Praia itself has the air of a small holiday resort, and indeed may be judged the only real ‘tourist’ town in the Azores archipelago, complete with several good souvenir shops, and with the holiday complex of Motel das Nove Ilhas at nearby Cabo da Praia.
Pursuing the main road round the final quadrant of the island, through gradually increasing signs of damage as Angra do Heroísmo is approached, the next place of interest is São Sebastião. This small town has a very attractive 16th-century church with a squat two-storey bell tower to one side, topped with a little steeple like a dunce’s cap. The exterior is typical of Azorean churches in that the walls are whitewashed to contrast with the cornerstones and window-surrounds of natural tufa (lava stone). São Sebastião is also notable for its touradas ci corda, the bull-on-a-rope fights which draw thousands of spectators to cram the streets and watch daring young men displaying their courage and fleetness of foot.
But so far we’ve seen nothing of the interior, the true character of Terceira’s countryside. Some of the most enjoyable excursions in the island follow the gently undulating hills and valleys, past fields of highly bred black bulls and placid cows wearing bells, forests and flowers, in April azaleas, in June hydrangeas.
Terceira’s several small lagoas are not worthy of comparison with São Miguel’s magnificent lakes, but in summer they provide many a quiet beauty spot for picnickers and day trippers. There are splendid views from the summit of both Pico Alto (2,650 ft) in the north and the rim of the Santa Barbara crater (3,350 ft) to the west. Finally, right in the centre of the island is the impressive great crater or ‘cauldron’, Caldeira de Guilherme Moniz, over 8 miles in circumference. Keen speleologists will enjoy a visit to the subterranean hot-water lakes at Cabrita nearby. A guide can be arranged through the Tourist Office in Angra do Heroísmo.
