Terceira - The soul of the Azores

For the first time, Papa-figos flew to the North Atlantic.

He alighted in Terceira, stayed there for a while and brought us a travel guidebook which invites us to make the same journey.

Terceira isn't just one of the nine islands of the Azores archipelago: it is the soul of the Azores.

Powerful volcanic activity caused Terceira to emerge from the ocean, but it was the inhabitants who, over centuries, have sculpted the island to give it the appearance of a landscape carved like filigree.

The island is crowned by volcanic cones, its climate paints everything in shades of green and the sea shapes its coast with bizarre sculptures.

Terceira is proud of the important role it played in many episodes of Portuguese history. The cities of Angra do Heroísmo (included in UNESCO's World Heritage List) and Praia da Vitória remind us of that past and that way of life, and the bastion forts and coastal fortresses are a testament to those historic events.

There are churches dating from the earliest times of settlement, as well as those inspired by baroque, recalling many other places of worship on the Portuguese mainland. The vernacular architecture has enchanting lines that are perfectly in tune with their surroundings, both in the cities and in rural settings.

Papa-figos also brings us pages with remarkable landscapes and unequalled natural heritage, both inland and coastal, along with a series of suggestions that offer opportunities for enchantment and the awakening of new experiences.

Of course, without Terceirans there would be no Terceira. The local people are undoubtedly the soul of the island. For continuing day after day to build this amazing island and for the constant friendliness present in every encounter.

The rest is an infinity of sensations, with whales, playful dolphins and a boat that slowly drifts away, in an invitation to discover one of the nearby islands.

Let's go! To Terceira.