Installation of a fence to protect biodiversity in Grota do Inferno

Jan. 7, 2026

As part of the LIFE IP AZORES NATURA project, a fence was recently installed in the Grota do Inferno viewpoint area on São Miguel island.

This measure is a response to the need to mitigate the intense tourist pressure the site has been experiencing. The trampling of vegetation has constituted a serious threat to the populations of endemic and protected species present here, including some of the project’s main target species, such as Lactuca watsoniana, Rumex azoricus, and Angelica lignescens.

The fence now implemented will reduce trampling impacts, safeguard the regeneration of endemic flora, and conserve one of the most biodiverse sites on São Miguel island, within the scope of action C3 – Implementation of pilot work for the conservation of endemic flora.

This intervention was carried out by the São Miguel Environment and Climate Action Service, in partnership with the Regional Directorate for Tourism, reinforcing the importance of inter-institutional collaboration for the preservation of the Azores’ natural heritage.

Learn more about this project coordinated by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action at: www.lifeazoresnatura.eu/en/.