Agualva

On the northern coast of Terceira, where the island’s green interior slides into the Atlantic over black lava, Agualva is the largest parish of the island and one of its oldest settled: a landscape of spring-fed valleys, hedged pastures and a wild shoreline of bays and cliffs that has become one of the island’s favourite walks.

The bays of the north coast

The coastal trail of the Baías da Agualva runs close to four kilometres along the shore, over lava platforms and through low vegetation, past the Miradouro da Alagoa and its view of the bays. The cliffs here show the columns of prismatic basalt left by ancient eruptions, and the little reserve of the Alagoa da Fajãzinha protects a stretch of the rocky coast with its native plants. The sea is rough and the rocks treacherous: the walk is for views, not for swimming.

Springs, mills and orchards

Inland, the parish lives up to the name its springs gave it: clear water rises across its valleys, feeding the municipality’s supply and once turning dozens of mills along the main stream. Orchards of walnuts and pears gave way to dairy pastures, and the church of Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe anchors the village among Império chapels and fountains. The e-bike route west passes through the parish on the way to Serreta, and the roads back east lead over the island’s interior to Terceira Island‘s twin cities.

What to see

• The Baías da Agualva coastal trail
• The Miradouro da Alagoa and the prismatic cliffs
• The reserve of the Alagoa da Fajãzinha
• The church of Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe
• The springs and old mill streams of the valleys

Practical information

Agualva lies in the municipality of Praia da Vitória, on the north coast of Terceira, on the road between Biscoitos and the island’s west. The coastal trail crosses exposed lava: wear shoes with grip, keep clear of the cliff edge in wind, and check the official websites before setting out.

Image credit: Baias de Agualva desde el miradouro de Alagoa by Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.