None of the airlines operating from the United Kingdom provide direct flights to Terceira Island. Due to the remoteness of the place, only TAP Portugal and SATA International offer trips to Terceira Island, however, SATA is better if you want to travel to other islands of the Azores. These trips are only 7 to nine hours long, depending on the length of your stopover.
Being an autonomous region of Portugal, TAP Air Portugal provides the most affordable flights and the best route to the archipelago. Just from London Heathrow Airport flight number TP 1357 leaves for Lisbon at 7:00 PM every day. From London Gatwick TAP 1337 is scheduled on every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. After a stay of a few hours in Lisbon, TP 1823 continues to Terceira Island and arrives at the destination in two hours and 20 minutes. TP 1823 is a daily service that connects Terceira Island with continental Europe.
March and April are the months in which tourists on the budget can come to Terceira Island and find great deals and lower prices. Most tourists are not planning to go to these Portuguese islands during the spring break since the school summer vacations are just a few months away. The weather is still as pleasant as it is in the busy December month, with average temperature meandering around the 15°C mark. With only five days of rain in a month, this is an affordable time to visit Terceira Island with cheap tickets and low-cost hotel rooms.
Terceira Island is one of the islands of the Azores archipelago, and it receives tourists and passengers through the Lajes Airport (TER). The airport has an adjacent military base jointly operated by Spain and the US. The runway is the longest (four kilometres) in the Azores archipelago since military aircraft also use the facility. The airport is capable of handling 700,000 passengers a year. Angra do Heroísmo is one of the three capitals of the Azores, and from the city’s centre, the airport is only 20 kilometres away, which is an 18-minute car journey.
The perfect time to come to Terceira Island is from May to September. However, some tourists especially form the UK, coming to Terceira Island in the winters, especially around December for a toasty Christmas. During the May to September time, the high temperature gradually increases from 20°C to 27°C, peaking in August. For most of this period, there is a slim chance of rain, so that you can bask in the Atlantic sunshine for days at a stretch. December and January are the busiest times for the tourism business in Terceira Island, compared with summer and hence more costly. However, even in December, the mean temperature hovers around 15°C
The island was inhabited in the 15th century by Spanish and Portuguese settlers and has accumulated an immense historical and cultural importance. Terceira Island has natural wonders that serve as landmarks for tourists to admire.
Of all the festivals celebrated in Terceira Island, the Holy Ghost festival is the most famous and elaborate. Natives invoke the Holy Ghost in times of danger and pay tribute to the deity on this day. Every March, the priests of the Franciscan order choose a family to guard the sceptre and the shield of the Holy Ghost at their home. Meat and sweet bread are often eaten with family and friends on this day. Touradas a Corda or ‘Bullfight with a rope’ festival takes place every June. Young men run along with the galloping bulls and a matador exhausts the beast with the twist and turns of a crimson parasol.
The best way to get around Terceira Island is by taxi. The taxis are easily recognizable and are painted off-white with two navy blue diagonal stripes on the passenger doors. Car Rental services also offer cars to tourists who want to explore and travel whenever they wish. Be on the lookout though: herds of sheep sometimes go across the road suddenly, disrupting traffic, but this usually happens in the rural centre of the island. Via Rapida is a highway that connects two of the most populated towns of the island. It takes only 20 minutes to get to Praia de Vitoria from Angra De Heroismo. EN1-1A is the coastal route that encircles Terceira Island completely.
There are only a handful of five-star hotels in Terceira; however, most tourists spend their time doing outdoor activities and choose to spend less money on the lodging. Four-star hotels work like a charm and often accommodate the traveller adequately.
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