Terceira, The Azores (Açores), Portugal (March 2001)
The town of Praia da Vitória (“Victory Beach”) formed around a natural harbor on Terceira’s eastern coastline (map). It was named in tribute to a victory over Spanish forces that took place in 1581 when the Portuguese thwarted an invasion by releasing cattle onto a nearby beach.
This is one of the public squares in town. I’m not sure what type of tree this is, but I saw them everywhere. Often they had their trunks painted white.
Shopping
This is one of the primary shopping streets in Praia da Vitória. Stores lined both sides of a wide promenade inlaid with small dark and light cobblestones to create an interesting patterned effect.
Walking About
Praia da Vitória is the second largest town on Terceira. However it’s still a reasonably small enough place to tour on foot. There are several interesting streets to walk up and down, and places to explore. The architecture is also quite remarkable, such as the church pictured above.
Scenic Vantage
A large hillside called Serra do Facho, just north of Praia da Vitória, provided a great panoramic view of the town. The biggest beach in the entire Azores archipelago is located at the left side of this photograph.
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