Our cultural visit to discover Angra do Heroísmo, the most important city on the island of Terceira, starts with panoramic tour by coach.
During the 15th century, the city's progress and its historic city centre declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, was due to its strategic location along the trade routes of the Portuguese East Indies. We cannot but let our imagination run wild at the though of the many caravels and galleons that were welcomed into the port over the centuries.
First of all, we head to the amazing Pico da Memória viewpoint to admire the city from above.
We continue our tour with the lush Jardim Duque da Terceira, an unmissable destination for plant lovers as well as one of the best known and appreciated gardens in the entire archipelago.
We venture towards the suggestive Palacio dos Capitaes Generais to discover, with the precious help of our guide, the fundamental stories of the city's past and then continue towards one of the main monuments, the Sé Catedral de Angra.
Increasingly fascinated by the local history, we continue to walk towards Câmara Municipal, the City Hall offering unique views of the square.
After our cultural itinerary, we move on to Palácio Bettencourt, an extraordinary Baroque building now home to the public library and one of the most important historic archives in Portugal.
Before returning to the ship, we have some free time available to wander around the charming city centre and discover some of the local specialities such as massa sovada sweet bread or the typical embroideries.