240408 - Açores: Terceira | Fly & Drive

Lajes is a civil parish in the municipality of Praia da Vitória, on the Portuguese island of Terceira in the Azores. The population in 2011 was 3,744,[1] in an area of 12.11 square kilometres (4.68 sq mi).[2] It is the second most populous parish in the municipality of Praia da Vitória. Lajes is best known for being the location of Portuguese Air Force Base No.4, used for military, small inter-island, as well as scheduled and chartered flights from North America and mainland Europe. The U.S. military has a multi-year agreement with the government of Portugal at Lajes Airfield, which is the base for U.S. 65th Air Base Wing (65 ABW). Lajes is situated on the northern coast of Terceira, bordered on the west by the parishes of Vila Nova and São Brás, to the east by Santa Cruz and south, by the parish of Fontinhas. The majority (over half) of the parish is occupied by Air Base No. 4, and the barracks/homes of Air Force personnel stationed on the base (including American and Portuguese servicemen). The remainder of the base is actually in the neighbouring civil parish of Santa Cruz. The western frontier is delineated by the Ribeira da Areia that crosses into the interior, reaching the parishes of Vila Nova and São Brás. The border then skirts Lorais, until Fundões, and parts towards the interior again, intersecting at Rua do Terreiro, Rua das Covas, Rua dos Fundões and Rua Padre Gregório B. Rocha, before arriving in Picão. The border then passes through the pasturelands of the interior, before aligning with the regional roadway at Santa Luzia, and running perpendicular towards the regional airport, bisecting the runway in the direction of Santa Rita, until the coast at Ponta dos Carneiros. In addition to Ribeira da Areia and Ribeira dos Pães, the parish is crossed by subterranean branches of the Ribeira do Marques (that crosses the airport/air base).