Above the Azores

The ring road that circles the island of Terceira only wends its way along the shoreline at a few points throughout the 50-mile drive, mostly cutting inland through pastures and farms. One of nine islands that make up the Azores—an overseas realm of Portugal—Terceira is full of terraced fields that farmers use for raising crops and grazing cattle. Though tourism has overtaken agriculture as Terceira's economic driver, the dairy farming tradition remains strong here, producing milk and cheeses that are much sought after on the mainland.