When it comes to European summer travel, tourists seem to always gravitate towards widely known places like Paris, London, and Rome: they're home to iconic landmarks, boast great Transatlantic connections, and, for the most part, make for convenient getaways.
If you're a Travel Off Path reader, however, chances are it's the lesser-known spots that most have yet to discover that pique your interest. And packed with those as Europe may be, it doesn't mean they are easy to reach from American shores, particularly out West.
Well, unless you're keeping track of every new flight route launching this year, you might have missed TAP Air Portugal‘s exciting new announcement:
Nonstop Flights From The West Coast To The Azores Are Coming!
For the first time in recent aviation history, at least since the 1990s, TAP will operate flights from San Francisco International (SFO) to Terceira Island (TER), starting June 6, 2025.
This tiny Portuguese-administered territory, roughly 8 times smaller than Rhode Island, is part of the Azores, a 9-island group in the middle of the Atlantic some 850 miles from the European mainland.
Its charming harbor-side capital, Angra do Heroísmo, was settled by the Portuguese at the peak of the Age of Discoveries. Its townscape is largely evocative of the 16th century, with stunning Renaissance buildings and richly decorated Baroque churches.
Its Sé Cathedral is one of the oldest buildings in the Azores, and the nearby Palácio dos Capitães-Generais, originally a Jesuit college, is famous for its stately ballrooms—it's no wonder the city's historic center as a whole is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is the best base for exploring Terceira, as it concentrates a majority of the tourist amenities, and if you're looking for a budget-friendly room for 2, staying at Angra Bed & Breakfast will only set you back by $43.50 per person.
Terceira Has Beautiful, Unspoiled Nature
From Angra, you can easily visit several of the island's top attractions, including Algar do Carvão, a uniquely shaped natural chimney formed atop a labyrinth of stalactite caves and a volcanic lake. You can also explore Gruta da Lava, a (literal) lava-made cave, or climb Monte Brasil.
One of the most prominent peaks in the volcano-dotted island, it is the one closest to the capital, and it features colonial-era fortifications.
To the east, Praia da Vitória is an unusual sandy beach for a volcanic terrain such as Terceira, and freezing as the water may be most of the year (this is the middle of the Atlantic, after all), it's perfect for a cooling off on the odd hot day, and catching a tan.
On the rugged north coast, Biscoitos is a laid-back fishing village best known for its natural sea pools. These pools teem with locals on particularly warm summer days, and the surrounding countryside is dotted with renowned wineries.
The Wine Museum is a major highlight, but if you're keen on a more intimate wine-tasting experience, with Terceira's lush hills for backdrop, make sure you add the family-run Adega Simas to your Biscoitos itinerary.
If you visit Terceira in June, you'll also have the opportunity to attend one of the most hotly anticipated festivals in the Azores: the Festas Sanjoaninas. This centuries-old tradition involves colorful parades, live folk music, traditional Portuguese food (and the occasional bullfighting), and a variety of other activities.
Speaking of food, the rustic, no-frills Casa de Pasto O Pedro, in Biscoitos, serves the best alcatra (slow-cooked beef stew) on the island, and as for fresh seafood and grass-fed Angus, make it your top priority to visit Caneta, near the idyllic inland village of Altares, a 20-minute drive from Angra.
Booking a table is recommended.
More On The San Fran-Terceira Flights
Terceira is home to the westernmost airport in Portugal to host Transatlantic flights, and the island itself is around one-third of the way to America. Thus, TAP's new service will be one of the shortest flights between the West Coast and the Old Continent.
This will be a seasonal route, available once a week on Tuesdays. There will be a total of 55,000 seats available from early June through October.
It is also TAP's longest flight route. Once launched, San Francisco will be the only West Coast hub to offer nonstop flights to the Azores, and more specifically, one of only three airports in the United States that offer flights to Terceira Island.
In case you're wondering, Azores Airlines operates flights to Terceira from Boston (BOS) and New York (JFK) once a week.
Is There Even Enough Demand For Terceira Getaways?
We're curious to see how the small Terceira airport, mostly used by smaller, inter-island jets, will handle a larger-bodied A330neo once-a-week, and whether the ambitious plan will prove fruitful for TAP, considering the (near total) lack of awareness around Terceira as a destination.
It's not like the Azores are exactly a hidden gem at this point, having featured heavily in the media in recent years as the ‘Hawaii of Europe', owing it to the dramatic nature seen in many of its islands, its year-round pleasant weather, and the remoteness.
However, most of the attention is centered on São Miguel, the biggest Azorean island, both literally and for tourism, as it hosts Ponta Delgada, the regional capital, and thus it offers better connectivity—so why is TAP putting its money on Terceira, of all places?
According to Simple Flying, the San Francisco-Terceira route does not need high demand to sustain itself, seeing that part of the traffic can be directed onward to Lisbon (LIS):
The nonstop San Francisco-Lisbon service will be available on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and based on the information provided, on Tuesdays, a one-stop flight is planned, including a layover in Terceira on the way.
This is a clever move, as it provides passengers with additional connectivity going from San Francisco to Lisbon, for a total of 4 weekly flights instead of 3, and it does not severely impact on flight time: the Terceira stop bumps flight time up from around 13 hours nonstop to 15h30.
In other words, when flying on a Tuesday, passengers will be able to book seats on one of 2 sections on this route, with either Terceira Island or Lisbon as their final destination.
This will also help TAP avoid basing a long-haul aircraft at the less-equipped, minor Terceira Island Airport while still improving connections to and from the island, whether to mainland Portugal or North America.
Book your direct TAP Air Portugal flight from SFO to Terceira (TER), starting from $1,397 roundtrip here.
Ready For Your Trip? Check The Latest Entry Requirements For Your Destination Here
↓ Elevate Your Travel↓
Sign Up Now For Travel Off Path Premium! No ads, VIP Content, Personal Travel Concierge, Huge Savings, Daily Deals, Members Forum & More!
✈️Join Our Travel Off Path Community Forum: Where travelers unite, ask questions, share experiences and even find like-minded travel buddies!
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR LATEST POSTS
Enter your email address to subscribe to Travel Off Path's latest breaking travel news, straight to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
Celine Gottwald
Thursday 15th of May 2025
I cannot claim it is a coincidence that I am writing about Terceira so soon after Constantine Mudge, because 'Const' as we call him told me of your article. I was in Terceira with my then husband holidaying in his family home on the island when Const arrived with the Braga-Coimbra party. It was our pleasure to meet old friends again albeit it in a very different setting from our usual San Remo and Menton, but the people of Terceira rose to the occasion and in that respect as in so many, Terceira has changed little in the intervening decades. Yes, there are bancomats and strange foreign foods available but Terceira represents the best of the Azores. I have not visited the Islands since divorcing my husbands but must make the effort to call on Adalbert soon. In doing so I shall proudly support the tradition of visiting the Azores as a guest rather than vulgar tourist. A lovely article.
Constantine Mudge
Wednesday 14th of May 2025
Your article on Terceira brought the memories flooding back to those difficult times in Portugal following the revolution. I was staying with the Duke and Duchess of Braga-Coimbra when the event first happened. We were alarmed but the Duke calmly arranged for the staff to pack the most valuable belongings and bring them to the yacht. His first idea was Madeira where friends would assist the family, but the island seemed too near to be safe. Instead we continued to the Açores and the the family estate on Terceira. A long journey but a relief to arrive, and the estate staff ensured we were kept in safety and comfort until the worst was over. As a citizen of Liechtenstein I was able to travel freely, and arranged safe passage to Brazil for the Duke, Duchess, family and staff where I visited them on their estate south of Belém. Pleasant but hardly Portugal. Thank you for the memory, rekindled so vividly.