Running with the Bulls in the Azores

One of the biggest and largest festivals and tourist attractions to take place in the Azores is the annual bull festival. This festival takes place on the majority of the 9 islands in the months of August and September. The largest event takes place on the island of Terceira. Terceira even though it is considered the lilac island it should be considered the island of bulls. This is a tradition that dates back to the 16th-century where at the time there were over 100,000 cattle in the Azores. This was popular in Spain at the time and shows the presence of the Spanish in the Azores during this era. The island of Terceira is the only island in the Azores where the bull is bred. There are two different types of spectacles to enjoy when it comes to bullfighting. The Praca in Portuguese is the event that takes place in an arena. This is popular to sit and watch gladiator-style except the bull is not hurt or harmed during this event. This is a fun spectacle to watch and is extremely popular with both residents and visitors who come to admire the variety of wild cattle and costumes. The tourada a corda is the festival of running with the bull that is attached to a safety cord. This is usually an 80-meter long cord that is put around the neck of the bull so it can run up and down the streets with 6-8 local residents holding the cord to avoid a possible collision with a bystander. The island of Graciosa also celebrates this event annually and here you feel like you are on an exotic island surrounded by exotic vegetation and flowers with countless festivals taking place all summer long. If you want to experience this event then contact us for more information on when and where the events will be taking place throughout the Azores.