Azores Situation Report Wednesday 1st October 2025

Father and son share the ‘kingdom’ of Azorean cheeses

In the ‘kingdom’ of award-winning cheese in the Azores, father and son share the business in different establishments in Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel, being sought after by locals, tourists and emigrants.

Carlos Bernardo founded the Reis dos Queijos establishment 47 years ago, which has been managed for 15 years by one of his sons, Mário Bernardo, and sells 47 varieties of cheese, all of Azorean origin.

The establishment has since developed its own cheese, in a project in partnership with Lactaçor, which is “pasteurized and similar” in its characteristics to the Topo cheese from São Jorge.

Mário Bernardo also mentioned that emigrants “take whole wheels of cheese abroad,” as do mainland tourists.

Another son of the Rei dos Queijos, Milton Bernardo, has shared the cheese market with his father and brothers since he decided to leave and found Príncipe dos Queijos, also in Ponta Delgada.

His typical customer, including many from the mainland, is looking for “a strong, older cheese,” but spicy cheeses aren’t just sitting on the shelves.

Milton Bernardo says that emigrants in the United States and Canada are regular customers, who take the cheese vacuum-packed for the trip and transport it in a box, with the corresponding receipt and certificate due to the demands of the North American market.

“Many of them come to our store already referred by other emigrants who have been here,” he said.

Regarding his brother’s decision to start his own business and create Príncipe dos Queijos, Mário Bernardo says, “there’s business between both parties and a market for everyone,” making it “a consolidated market.”

Azorean cheeses have gained an international reputation thanks to their numerous awards, with São Jorge DOP cheese and its cured cheeses receiving gold medals and recognized for their quality and uniqueness in several categories at the World Cheese Awards.

São Miguel Old Cheese, aged for nine months, also received gold medals at the World Cheese Awards.

Azorean Milhafre Cheese, from Terceira and Graciosa Islands, was recognized with the Superior Taste Award 2022 and 2023, awarded by international judges, and was also named one of the country’s best cheeses in 2024.

Jury asked for “a few more days” to try to privatize Azores Airlines

The Government of the Azores guaranteed “permanent” respect for SATA workers and revealed that the jury for the privatization of Azores Airlines asked for “a few more days” to conclude the process and give “another chance” to the consortium.

On September 9, the Finance Secretary said he was committed to presenting a proposal for the privatization of Azores Airlines by the end of the month, warning that if this did not happen, the option would be “private negotiation” or the closure of the company.

This Tuesday, the governor admitted that “there was an expectation” of having by the end of September a “firm proposal or the final outcome of the process”, but said he respected the performance of the jury led by Augusto Mateus.

According to Duarte Freitas, the jury “intends to schedule a meeting by the end of the week” with the company’s management and the Newtour/MS Aviation consortium.

“As soon as the jury president can confirm this meeting, we will naturally have an idea of ​​the final date for the outcome,” he added.

The regional secretary recalled that the agreement with the European Commission obliges the region to “sell more than 50% of Azores Airlines and 100% of the handling”, highlighting the work of the Azorean executive in the negotiations to grant another guarantee to the group.

On the same day, the Government of the Azores authorized the airline SATA Air Açores to take out two new loans, totalling 40 million euros, to “support treasury resources”.Sure, I can help with that! Here is a rewritten version of your document:

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 24th September 2025

Hurricane Gabrielle has intensified to a Category 4 storm and is projected to reach the Azores later this week. According to the US National Hurricane Centre (NHC), Gabrielle has reached Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale (out of a maximum of 5) and is expected to approach the Azores by the end of the week.

The NHC advises residents of the Azores archipelago to monitor Hurricane Gabrielle’s progress, as it is now a Category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean. On Monday afternoon, Gabrielle had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (220 kph) as it moved east-southeast of Bermuda. The hurricane was located 180 miles (290 kilometers) from Bermuda and was moving north-northeast. Although the high-intensity hurricane was still more than 2,000 miles (3,230 kilometers) west of the Azores, forecasters predict that the system will continue to move north and east in the coming days, potentially approaching the Azores islands by the end of the week.

Forecasters noted that Gabrielle’s wind strength was not expected to change significantly on Monday night, and the system could gradually weaken on Tuesday and Wednesday. The system was also expected to increase its forward speed over the next few hours. The NHC reported that Gabrielle would continue to impact the east coast of the United States, from North Carolina northwards, as well as Atlantic Canada, with large waves causing dangerous conditions and rip currents.

Currently, there are no coastal watches or warnings in effect, although authorities have advised Bermuda residents to remain vigilant as the cyclone evolves. The NHC warned that storm surges would continue to affect Bermuda in the coming days. According to the latest update, the cyclone’s center is expected to pass between the Western (Flores and Corvo) and Central (Terceira, Graciosa, Pico, São Jorge, and Faial) groups on Friday, classified as a Category 1 Hurricane, said meteorologist Elsa Vieira from the IPMA Azores delegation. If the trajectory continues, the weather is expected to worsen across all the islands as the cyclone approaches the archipelago.

Recreational Fisherman Dies in Poça dos Frades on the Island of São Jorge

A 33-year-old recreational fisherman died on Sunday after allegedly diving while practicing underwater fishing in Poça dos Frades, in the municipality of Velas, on the island of São Jorge, according to a statement from the National Maritime Authority. The alert was received at 3:50 p.m. on Sunday by the PSP (Public Security Police), and officers from the Horta Maritime Police Local Command and the Velas Volunteer Fire Department were immediately dispatched to the scene.

The victim was removed from the water and transported to the port of Velas, where the Health Officer issued a death certificate. After contacting the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the body was subsequently transported to the Calheta health center morgue by firefighters. The Maritime Police Psychology Office was activated, and the Horta Maritime Police Local Command handled the incident.

Azorean Government Welcomes Ryanair’s Intention to Reopen Base in Ponta Delgada

The Government of the Azores expressed great pleasure upon hearing the news about Ryanair’s interest in reopening its base in Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel. The Azorean government welcomes Ryanair’s position and interest in reopening the base on São Miguel Island and is available to collaborate in developing the process, which is currently taking place within national government bodies.

The Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility, and Infrastructure of the Azores, under the supervision of Berta Cabral, recognizes that these investment decisions and their underlying processes are complex and depend on various factors, involving legal requirements and coordination between entities such as the Government of the Republic, the Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC), and ANA Aeroportos. However, Ryanair’s intention is seen as a clear sign of the attractiveness and potential of the Azores as a tourist destination and a positive region for investment.

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Azores Situation Report Wednesday 17th September 2025

Three tourists rescued after attempting to circumnavigate Lagoa do Fogo along the ridges

On Sunday night, Ribeira Grande Volunteer Firefighters rescued three young Spanish women, aged 28 to 31, who got lost on an unauthorized trail in the Lagoa do Fogo area. The rescue operation, which lasted over six hours and involved more than 10 firefighters from Ribeira Grande and Vila Franca do Campo, raises the question of whether rescues on unapproved trails should be paid for.

The alert was given at 4:35 pm on Sunday. The tourists began their route at Pico da Barrosa, aiming to circumnavigate the Lagoa do Fogo crater along the ridges. However, they got lost in the Lombadas area at Pico da Vela, without appropriate clothing or essential items like a portable charger or flashlight. They descended to the waterline but then climbed back up to the ridges, eventually stopping at a point where further ascent was impossible. Firefighters instructed them to return to the waterline due to the steep ravine. When found, the tourists were physically fine, with only a few scratches.

José Nuno Moniz, the commander of the Ribeira Grande Volunteer Firefighters, emphasized that people should pay for rescues on unapproved trails. He noted that there are many approved trails on the island, making it difficult to understand why rescues on non-approved trails occur. He also highlighted the risks involved in such rescues, especially in adverse weather conditions.

The rescue operation involved a first team from Lombadas and another team from Barrosa. The first team eventually found the tourists after navigating through dense vegetation. The ridges of Lagoa do Fogo have abandoned shortcuts that may mislead tourists into thinking they are trails.

Air Force rescues man on Pico Mountain

Last Saturday, the Air Force rescued a 51-year-old man who needed urgent medical assistance while hiking on Pico Mountain. The alert was issued by the Azores Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service. The man was at an altitude of approximately 2,150 meters on a steeply sloping cliff, making rescue operations difficult. Despite the challenging conditions, the rescue mission was successful, and the man was transported to Ponta Delgada hospital for medical care.

IPMA raises the warning for the islands of the Western Azores group to orange

The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) raised the warning level to orange in the Western group of the Azores due to heavy rainfall, which may be accompanied by thunderstorms. The approach of a cold frontal surface with waves will worsen weather conditions in the Western (Flores and Corvo) and Central (Faial, Pico, São Jorge, Graciosa, and Terceira) groups. Heavy rainfall is expected in the Western group, especially in the early hours of Wednesday, prompting the orange warning.

 

 

Situation Report Azores Wednesday 10th September 2025

 

By our correspondent from the Azores

The Azores lack sufficient mountain guides to meet tourism demand.

The Azores do not have enough guides to meet the demand for visitors to Pico Mountain, which saw an 18% increase in 2024.

Data collected since 2022 – the moment from which management of Casa da Montanha, in Pico, passed to the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action – reveal that demand “has been growing, with an increase of around 18% in 2024 compared to 2023”.

Although 22 natural park guide courses were held in the Azores, across all the islands, and three mountain guide courses were held on Pico between 2015 and 2020, enabling the training of “more than fifty mountain guides to date”, the Ministry states that, “for various reasons, many of the mountain guides trained during that period do not work as guides on Pico”.

According to the regional secretariat, this factor “has been causing a shortage of human resources for companies to meet the demand for visitors, especially during the high season.”

Pico Mountain is very popular with tourists during peak season, and the climb can be done with a guide or independently, provided certain rules are followed to ensure visitor safety.

The Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action has opened pre-registration for the Pico Island Natural Park Guide and Mountain Guide courses, and registration is also open for the Azores Natural Park Guide training, scheduled to take place “in the last quarter of this year”.

Currently, the regulations for access to Pico Mountain define a maximum capacity of 320 visitors per day and 160 visitors simultaneously, with overnight stays in the crater limited to 32 visitors per day.

Rita Rico is the new United States Consul in the Azores

Last week, Rita Rico took office as Consul at the United States Consulate in Ponta Delgada.

Since last August, the diplomatic mission of the United States of America (USA) in Portugal has had new faces and, at the Consulate in Ponta Delgada, Rita Rico succeeded Meg Campbell as the new Consul for the Azores.

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Rita Rico holds a PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the USA, a master’s degree from the University of Guadalajara in Mexico, and a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, also in the USA.

Before joining the State Department in 2010, the new U.S. Consul in the Azores served as a senior advisor in the U.S. Senate.

In recent years, Rita Rico served as Strategic Communications Advisor and Speechwriting Supervisor for the U.S. Ambassador in London, United Kingdom.

In 2022, the US Consul completed a one-year Transatlantic Diplomatic Fellowship (TDF) program and a mission to the Office of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Prior to her assignment in the UK, Rita Rico was Special Advisor to the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy in Washington, DC.

He subsequently held diplomatic posts in Belo Horizonte (Brazil), Caracas (Venezuela), Nairobi (Kenya) and Santiago (Chile).

Around 400 operators from four countries will train in search and rescue in the Azores until Friday.

Around four hundred military personnel and civilians are participating, from today (Monday) until Friday, in an advanced search and rescue exercise in the Azores, which brings together entities from Portugal, Spain, the United States and Canada.

“To ensure that the procedures in place are adequate to accomplish the intended mission, the only reasonable way is to conduct an exercise that brings together these training audiences to work for a week in a location that will be our area of ​​operations if there is a major accident,” Major General António Moldão, commander of the Azores Air Zone, has said.

Since 2015, the ASAREX exercise has been held annually in the Azores, with alternating coordination between the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) of Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel, and the Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) of Lajes, on the island of Terceira.

This year, the exercise departs from Air Base No. 4, in Lajes, and involves air assets from three countries.

From Spain, a Super Puma arrives from the Canary Islands and a C-235 from Madrid, and from Canada a C-295.

In addition to the resources assigned to BA4, in Lajes, the exercise also involves a C-130 from Air Base number 6, in Montijo, and a P3 Cup, a long-range aircraft, from the Portuguese Air Force.

Between Spanish and Canadian military personnel, Portuguese and American military personnel from Lajes Base, Portuguese Navy personnel, and personnel from other entities, “between 350 and 400 people” will be directly involved in the exercise.

According to António Moldão, Portugal “has a very broad area of ​​responsibility,” bordering eight countries, so it is important to involve entities from those countries in this exercise.

The objective is to test the “coordination of search and rescue resources if there is a need for a more muscular intervention, resulting from a serious accident with an aircraft or a ship, which requires the collaboration of friendly and neighbouring countries”.

“The procedures we have in place are generally sound and will allow us to resolve the situations we have identified, but opportunities for improvement may arise and will be implemented,” the commander noted.

For a week, search and rescue scenarios will be tested at night, with the Canadian C-295 aircraft, and high-altitude rescue scenarios, on Pico Island, with the Canary Islands helicopter.

Search and rescue missions at sea are also planned, which will also involve naval resources from the Portuguese Navy, and simulated air accidents, with multiple casualties, to train coordination with Civil Protection and other entities in the Azores.

“The scenarios were built to meet the primary mission training needs of each of the search and rescue units involved,” explained António Moldão.

For the commander of the Azores Air Zone, “the strategic relevance of the archipelago is linked to geography, and it is immutable.”

“It is essential for Portugal to have a robust Air Force presence in the archipelago, and that is what we have been doing and will continue to do,” he stressed.

Regardless of the geostrategic importance that the Lajes Base may have for foreign countries, the archipelago is strategic, first and foremost, for Portugal, argued António Moldão.

“We are primarily responsible for search and rescue, but we are also an essential entity for transporting patients between islands and to the mainland. When someone needs to be extracted from the sea quickly, there’s only one way to do it: a helicopter,” he emphasized.

In addition to the Air Force and Navy, the GNR, PSP, Regional Civil Protection Service and Firefighters of the Azores, Firefighters of Madalena, Pico Island, Atlânticoline, Azores Sea School and Mutualista Açoreana also participate in the exercise.