Around 23,000 people accessed Lagoa do Fogo, on the island of São Miguel, using the shuttle system from June 15 to July 31 of this year, the Azorean government announced today.
Of the total of 22,963 people who traveled to the natural monument located in the municipality of Ribeira Grande using this specific bus service, 21,944 tickets were sold to non-residents.
“In the space of 30 days, 14,341 tickets were sold and a further 7,633 reserved. Residents bought 358 tickets, according to information provided by Atlântico Energy, the company providing this service,” the press release states.
The Regional Government recalls that the bus service to visit the Fogo lagoon, which is free for residents and “aims to discipline the circulation of vehicles in order to improve the quality of the experience and guarantee respect for nature”, began in 2023, when 50,836 people took the trip between June 15 and September 30.
In the meantime, the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures has created 32 more parking spaces in a new park located next to Caldeira Velha.
Quoted in the press release, the Regional Secretary said that “the expectation is that by the end of the operation the numbers will be much higher than those recorded last year”.
According to Berta Cabral, this year’s figures “already show that this measure is a real success, as well as being the most appropriate solution for organizing tourist flows and disciplining visits to one of the Azores’ most emblematic attractions”.
As was the case in 2023, the days of the week with the highest demand are Saturday, Monday and Sunday.
The shuttle service, which operates on a hop-on hop-off basis until September 30, includes routes with start and end points at Caldeira Velha, in Ribeira Grande, and Casa da Água, in Lagoa.
During the period of operation of the service, traffic on the road is restricted: the exception is for tourist entertainment companies, travel agencies, cabs and residents.
“As we saw in 2023 and is already starting to happen this year, there has been a huge reduction in car traffic on the road and even in the use of the parking lots at the viewpoints, and with this, we have created much better conditions for the enjoyment of the whole space and for a much more peaceful experience connected with nature,” says Berta Cabral.
According to the minister, with this type of solution, “it is possible to maintain tourism as a driver of the regional economy, with the right balance in the protection of the natural heritage”.
“This measure is achieving one of our major objectives: reducing environmental pressure on a protected area and one of the most visited places on the island of São Miguel,” she said.
Covering an area of around 14 kilometers, the shuttle passes by six tourist attractions, operating from 09:00 to 19:00 every day of the week, including public holidays.
