Terceira

Bull hooves clatter on cobblestones. In the streets of Angra do Heroísmo, touradas à corda send bulls through the town held by long ropes, spectators pressing into doorways as the animal passes close enough to feel the heat. Underground, the same volcanic forces that built the island have hollowed it — lava tunnels stretch for hundreds of metres beneath the pastures above.

Terceira's capital, Angra do Heroísmo, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the oldest continuously settled city in the Azores, its grid of Renaissance streets established in the 15th century. The city served as a critical waypoint for treasure fleets returning from the Americas, and its harbour fortifications — including the Monte Brasil volcanic peninsula — reflect centuries of strategic importance. The tourada à corda (bull-on-a-rope) is Terceira's signature tradition, held in villages across the island from May to October, with the bull controlled by eight men holding a long rope while spectators participate at their own discretion. Below ground, the Algar do Carvão is a volcanic chimney descending into a cathedral-sized cavern with a clear water lake at its base, stalactites of silica hanging from the ceiling. The Gruta do Natal, a lava tube formed by flowing basalt, extends over 700 metres and is accessible year-round.