The historical Praia da Vitória is one of the most interesting places in this route, it is to about 20 km to the northeast of Angra and is one of the most modern cities of Azores. It is located in the coast This and it has a pretty sand beach, an elegant sport port, an pleasant peatonal zone of purchases and a very pleasant atmosphere. It was founded on 1456 as Vila gives Praia and received his present name of Reina Maria II in 1837 in thanked for memory by the first victory of the Liberal ones on the Monarchists in the battle of the 11 of August of 1829 that took place in its coast. Seat of first captain Donatario of the island, Praia was the capital until do Heroísmo in 1476 was replaced by Angra. Praia suffered great damages because of 1614 earthquakes, 1841 and 1980 although often continue offering an pleasant layout and an historical center very interesting plenty of narrow alleys of showy houses with its typical and chirriantes windows of guillotine. Its port recently has been extended and modernized with a wharf of 1,400 meters in length and capacity for 210 boats that have turned to the port of Praia it gives Vitória in most important of Terceira. The North wharf metheglin to the fishing fleet and the South wharf metheglin to the commercial port where they berth the great cargo ships with his containers. Unfortunately everything has its advantages and its disadvantages and in this case the harbor complex occupies great part of the bay, limiting the extension of which in his origin it was a pretty sand beach and that today, is a small cove.
The center of Praia has a peatonal zone with stores and some remarkable historical buildings that they deserve a visit. Most impressive of all it is, probably, the First Igreja of Santa Cruz a pretty parochial church with a great main facade and two imposing bell towers that can be seen from distant spot. The church of three ships was founded in the middle of century XV by first captain Donatario of the island although it was not consecrated until 1516 and it had to be reconstructed several times throughout the centuries after being damaged by several earthquakes. Its main entrance is Gothic and its arches is made up of five vaults, gift of Rey Manuel I. The lateral door is of Manuelino style. Its interior, of several styles, lodges treasures as all the complicated golden statures that they adorn all the corners of the church and their chapels, a precious alabaster statue of the boy Jesus that are conserved in a large chest of silver in sacristía, a choir profusely decorated with a carved altarpiece and panels of tiles of century XVIII, interesting, movable paintings old and the battery of origin that was found during the carried out works of restoration after the 1980 earthquake.