The Azorean Government inaugurated the Caldeirinhas Viewpoint visitor support area at Monte da Guia on Faial

Dec. 13, 2023

On Tuesday, the Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Change, Alonso Miguel, and the Regional Secretary for Transport, Mobility and Infrastructure, Berta Cabral, inaugurated the support area for visitors to the Caldeirinhas Viewpoint as part of the intervention to upgrade the Pedestrian and Interpretation Circuit of the Monte da Guia Protected Landscape, on the island of Faial.

According to Alonso Miguel, “Monte da Guia is a central landscape element in the city of Horta, relevant to the lives of the people of Faial and to visiting Faial, as a recreational and tourist site with significant historical, cultural and natural value”.

“In fact, Monte da Guia is part of the Faial Nature Park, boasting various protection statuses, given its important landscape, biodiversity and geodiversity values, being a Protected Landscape, a geosite of the Azores Geopark, a Special Area of Conservation, within the scope of the Natura 2000 network, with the Canal Faial-Pico/Sector Faial Resource Management Protected Area developing around it,” he explained.

The Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Change emphasised that “all these singularities make Monte da Guia a unique place and an authentic visiting card for the island of Faial and the Region, which is the target of enormous demand for visitors and growing tourist pressure, and which must be protected, requalified and enhanced”.

“And, as such, this intervention was aimed precisely at dignifying and enhancing Monte da Guia even more, through the construction of a support area for visitors at the Caldeirinhas viewpoint, improving access infrastructures and the conditions for safe circulation and enjoyment of this important site for visitors to Faial,” he emphasised.

According to Alonso Miguel, “this is a minimalist visitation support intervention that includes the construction of a pedestrian circulation corridor, optimisation of road circulation and car parking arrangements, while also making the space suitable for people with reduced mobility.”

The Regional Secretary also revealed that this intervention, whose project was developed internally by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Change, represents an investment of around 70,000 euros and the conclusion of the first of three stages of intervention planned for Monte da Guia.

“In a second phase, the entire Pedestrian and Interpretive Circuit linking the Caldeirinhas Viewpoint to the eastern top of Monte da Guia is to be upgraded, with the creation of two new viewpoints, as well as the opening of an alternative trail linking the viewpoints to the 'Forte da Greta' area, creating a new visitor support area in a third and final phase of the intervention, with the upgrading of the amphitheatre and the surrounding area,” he said.

The Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructure, Berta Cabral, emphasised in her speech the “importance for tourism of new and upgraded points of visit to encourage the dispersal of visitors throughout the territory, promoting nature and adventure tourism”.

It's worth remembering that the Azores recently won the World's Best Adventure Destination award from the WTA, after having been named Europe's Best Adventure Destination for three consecutive years.

“According to the PEMTA, we want year-round tourism on all the islands, making it essential to promote adventure activities and create trails and routes that highlight the uniqueness of our territory and the richness of our culture. This project is part of that strategy, helping to improve Faial island's tourism offer,” said Berta Cabral.