Breeds of Terceira
An island of the Azores, green with dairy pasture, where bulls on long ropes are run through the streets in summer.
Breeds of this place
Best time: June to September, the season of festivals and touradas.
Terceira is one of the nine islands of the Azores, in the middle of the Atlantic. It is covered with green pasture, divided by stone walls and hydrangea hedges, and the Azores produce a large share of Portugal's milk. Terceira is also known for the tourada à corda, in which a bull held on a long rope by men in white shirts is run through the streets of a village.
The tourada à corda
From May to October, villages across Terceira hold rope bull runs as part of their festivals. A bull is let out with a long rope tied around its neck, held by a team of men called pastores who control it. People in the street tease and dodge it, and the bull returns to its pen afterwards. The bull is not killed. The tradition goes back several centuries.
Island cattle
The island's native breed, the Ramo Grande, was once a draught and dual-purpose animal and is now rare. Dairy herds are mainly Holstein Friesian, grazing outdoors all year in the mild, wet climate. Some farms raise bulls of fighting stock for the touradas. Angra do Heroísmo, the island's old capital, is a World Heritage Site.
A trail idea for Terceira
- Angra do Heroísmo The historic port town, a World Heritage Site.
- Village touradas Summer rope bull runs in the island's villages.
- Serra do Cume A viewpoint over the patchwork of walled pastures.
Written by the EveryCow desk with AI assistance. Background: "Tourada à corda" on Wikipedia. Fair dates, markets and visiting rules change; check locally before travelling, and keep a respectful distance from working animals. If something is wrong, tell us.
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