Experience the best of Praia da Vitória

Praia da Vitória is the second town of Terceira, one of the nine islands of the Azores, and sits on a wide bay on the east side of the island with a long beach of fine sand, unusual among the volcanic islands. The old centre sits behind the harbour, a seafront promenade is lined with cafés, and the Lajes airfield just outside town has served Atlantic crossings since the Second World War.

North of town, Biscoitos is a village on a lava coast where natural swimming pools have formed among black rock, and its vineyards grow in tiny walled plots that shelter the vines from the wind; a wine museum tells the story. Angra do Heroísmo, the island's historic capital and a World Heritage site, is on the south coast, and Algar do Carvão, a lava tube open to the sky with a pool at its base, lies in the interior.

Alcatra, beef slow-cooked in a clay pot with wine and spices, is Terceira's signature dish, and massa sovada, a sweet bread, is baked for festivals. In summer the island holds bull-running in the streets, with the bulls held on a rope, a tradition particular to Terceira. The climate is mild, with rain in winter.