Graciosa Island
Approximately 31 miles from Terceira lies the island of Graciosa (“gracious” in English). Graciosa has a surface area of 24 square miles (61 km2). It is known as the “White Island” due to its landscape and the names given to certain places like “Pedras Brancas” (“White Stones”), “Serra Branca” (“White Mountain”), and “Barro Branco” (“White Clay”). The island has about 4,600 inhabitants. The main municipalities are Santa Cruz and Lajes.
The islets along the coast of Graciosa add a peculiar beauty to the islands. The Praia Islet, totally covered by vegetation, and the Baleia Islet, owing its name to its resemblance to a shape of a whale.
The undulating wheatfields; green and purple vineyards; the vanes of windmills revolving in the wind; the color of the vineyards; the mirror formed by a lagoon hidden in the depth of the earth; the peace and quiet of country life; the nectar of delicious wines. All these are attractions of Graciosa, which also offers in dramatic beauty the rainbow colors of underwater life.