The Shipyard Angra

The Shipyard Angra offers the convenience of self-catering in the heart of the Azores’ most-historic city.

The island of Terceira holds an illustrious position in seafaring history. Portuguese sailors were the first to chart a sea route around the Cape of Hope in the late 1400s, and Terceira quickly became an important repair and resupply point for the ships of the Carreira da India.

The city of Angra blossomed as a centre international trade – downtown Angra’s UNESCO-protected architecture dates back to this golden era, whilst the eastern-end of the city was once home to the shipwrights, carpenters and ropemakers that underpinned Portugal’s merchant fleets.

This post-industrial area, just a stones-throw from Angra’s picturesque marina, is gradually being redeveloped and the latest addition is The Shipyard: a brand-new aparthotel with thirty-one spacious studio, one-bed and two-bed apartments.

The top floor seaview studios are a particular favourite of ours, overlooking the 16^th Century Forte de Sao Sebastiao and across the Ilhéus das Cabras islands. The décor of the apartments is a pleasant mix of locally-grown Japanese cedar and grey exposed-steel, harking back to The Shipyard’s nautical heritage.

Angra is also home to many of the Azores’ best restaurants – Terceiran recipes often differs from more-traditional Azorean cuisine with their wider use of spices such as cinnamon, cloves and coriander. It’s another happy by-product of the island’s historic connection with far-flung destinations, and the on-site Restaurante Oficina da Esquina continues this long-held tradition.