Azores Situation Report Wednesday 2nd July 2025

The Azores recorded more than 444.8 thousand overnight stays in tourist accommodation in May, an increase of 3.1% compared to the same period last year, according to data revealed today by the Regional Statistics Service (SREA).

“In May, 444.8 thousand overnight stays were recorded in all tourist accommodation establishments (hotels, local accommodation and rural tourism) in the Azores, a figure 3.1% higher than that recorded in the same month of the previous year”, reads the SREA Tourism Activity report, released today.

According to the document, the increase is higher than that recorded at national level (1.3%).

In the first five months of the year, the Azores exceeded one million overnight stays in tourist accommodation (1.4 million), an increase of 7.3% compared to the same period last year.

In May, the region recorded 136.5 thousand guests (up 5.2%), with an average stay of 3.26 nights, which increased by 2% year-on-year.

Residents abroad accounted for more than half of overnight stays in May (70.6%), totalling 313.9 thousand, 5.2% more than in the same period last year.

With 130.9 thousand overnight stays (29.4%), the national market registered a drop of 5.8%.

Cory’s shearwater is a bioindicator of marine pollution in the Atlantic, as proposed by Portugal

A proposal presented by Portugal for the adoption of the Cory’s Shearwater as a common bioindicator of floating plastic pollution in Region V of OSPAR (Wider Atlantic) was approved, in an initiative led by the Government of the Azores.

The new environmental indicator will allow the evaluation of the quantity, composition and temporal evolution of plastic ingested by juvenile shearwaters found dead during the period when they leave their nests.

This species, abundant in Macaronesia, appears as an alternative to the Arctic fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), used in other OSPAR regions, but absent in the southernmost latitudes, the Azorean executive added.

On the Regional Government’s website, it is stated that the Cory’s Shearwater “belongs to a group formed by several species of seabirds (Procellariiformes) that includes albatrosses, shearwaters (…) and storm-petrels. (…) The Cory’s Shearwater is the most characteristic seabird of the Azores and one of the oldest on the planet. Cory’s Shearwaters spend a large part of their lives at sea (pelagic birds), coming ashore only when it is time to breed, to build their nests, mate, incubate their eggs and care for their young.”

This is a proposal presented by Portugal for the adoption of the Cory’s Shearwater (Calonectris borealis) as a common bioindicator of floating plastic pollution in Region V (Greater Atlantic).

It is led by the Regional Government of the Azores, through the Regional Secretariat for the Sea and Fisheries – Regional Directorate for Maritime Policies, with scientific support developed by Yasmina Rodríguez and Christopher Pham, researchers at the OKEANOS Institute for Marine Sciences Research (University of the Azores) and is the result of a monitoring program initiated in 2015, within the scope of the internationally recognized “SOS Cagarro” citizen science campaign.

In addition to the Cory’s Shearwater as a bioindicator, an environmental assessment threshold was also approved: a maximum of 20% of the birds analysed must contain more than four plastic particles in their stomachs, based on a minimum sample of 200 juvenile birds collected over five consecutive years.

It is now expected that the ministerial meeting will reaffirm the political commitment to the implementation of this new indicator, reinforcing regional collaboration and contributing to the objectives of the Environmental Strategy for the Northeast Atlantic 2030 (NEAES 2030)”.

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 18th June 2025

Petition for an increase in the regional addition to the national minimum wage

The Union of Workers in the Manufacturing, Food, Commerce and Office, Hotel, Tourism and Transport Industries of the Azores delivered a public petition to the president of the regional parliament on Monday calling for an increase in the regional addition to the national minimum wage.

In a press release, the union said that the petition has 3,900 signatories and “is not just a piece of paper with names, it is the collective voice of thousands of workers, who yearn for a decent wage”.

“We cannot ignore the importance of the regional increase in the national minimum wage in the fight against poverty, particularly working poverty. In the current context, in which the regional labour market is based on a low-wage model, having a job is no longer enough to stave off poverty,” it is stated.

São Miguel Airport Terminal to be expanded by 30%

The terminal at Ponta Delgada Airport, in São Miguel, will undergo expansion works, in order to have greater disembarkation capacity.

The Ponta Delgada airport terminal will undergo works in 2026 that aim to expand the air space by around 30% to increase disembarkation capacity and to add new disembarkation gates.

Azores detect case of Monkeypox infection in non-resident patient

The Azores have detected a case of Monkeypox virus infection (mpox) in a non-resident person, and the region is monitoring close contacts, revealed the regional director of Health, Pedro Paes.

“The authorities initiated all the necessary surveillance and epidemiological investigation procedures with close contacts and all necessary actions were taken.”

Shuttle service to Lagoa do Fogo returns on June 15th

The shuttle service to access points of interest in the Fogo Volcano visiting area will return on June 15, with this service ending on September 30.

According to a press release from the Government of the Azores, the shuttle will operate between 9:00 am and 7:00 pm, every day of the week, including national, regional and municipal holidays, and will be free for residents of the Azores and will cost 5 euros for non-residents aged six and over.

During the aforementioned period, access to the road “between Caldeira Velha (Ribeira Grande) and Casa da Água (Lagoa) will be restricted to all vehicles, except those belonging to tourist entertainment companies, travel agencies, taxis and resident citizens”, explains the regional executive.

The buses will depart every 30 minutes from each of the bases and passengers, “with the same ticket, can decide to do just one or both routes, get off the bus at one of the stops and resume the journey whenever they wish”.

Thus, the Red Line starts at Caldeira Velha (Ribeira Grande), passes through the Miradouro da Bela Vista, Pico da Barrosa, Miradouro da Lagoa do Fogo and returns to Caldeira Velha.

The Green Line starts at Casa da Água (Lagoa), passes through Pico da Barrosa, Miradouro da Lagoa do Fogo and returns to Casa da Água.

Each route is expected to last around 60 minutes. The actual journey time will depend on the number and time of departures of each user on the chosen route.

Tickets can be purchased in advance online, via the link https://lagoadofogo.pt/ , and at tourist establishments on the island of São Miguel that are members of the respective sales system.

The press release also states that tourists travelling individually or in groups, independently, have at their disposal the “car parks at Caldeira Velha or Casa da Água and, from there, can use the shuttle service provided. Residents who wish to use this service, “can do so free of charge, by purchasing their ticket in advance”.

Tourist entertainment companies and travel agencies, which offer tours that include the Fogo Volcano Visiting Area (including the Lagoa do Fogo viewpoint), as well as taxis, do not need to use the shuttle service, having at their disposal the car parks along the route, subject to the conditions of use.

In total, the Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures provides 200 free parking spaces, namely, 101 in the Caldeira Velha car park, 60 in the car park next to Casa da Água and 48 in the short-term car park, at the Lagoa do Fogo viewpoint. (the latter intended for tour operators, travel agencies, taxis and residents).

It should be noted that, in 2024, 61,400 tickets were sold, an increase of 3.8% compared to the previous year.

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 11th June 2025

Four earthquakes with magnitudes between 2.6 and 3.3 felt on the island of São Miguel

Four earthquakes with magnitudes between 2.6 and 3.3 on the Richter scale were felt around 6:00 pm local time on the 9th of JUne in São Miguel, in the Eastern group of the Azores, reported the Azores Seismo-volcaeic Information and Surveillance Centre (CIVISA).

According to CIVISA, the tremors were recorded at 05:54 local time (06:54 in Lisbon), 10:55, 12:02 and 12:04.

The first earthquake had a magnitude of 3.3 and the following, in order, 2.7, 3.1 and 2.6.

The earthquakes had their epicentres south-southwest of Faial da Terra and south-southeast of Ribeira Quente, in the municipality of Povoação.

According to CIVISA, the four tremors were felt with maximum intensity III and III/IV (Modified Mercalli scale) in the municipality of Povoação and the most intense (3.3 on the Richter scale) was also felt in the municipalities of Vila Franca do Campo and Ponta Delgada (with intensity II/III).

The earthquakes are part of the seismic activity recorded since Wednesday south of the island of São Miguel, which “has been marked by low magnitude events, located at sea, roughly between 10 and 20 kilometres south of the municipality of Povoação”.

Azores Seismo-volcaeic Monitoring and Information Centre has a new portal

The Azores Seismo-volcaeic Information and Surveillance Centre (CIVISA) has a new internet portal in operation, in an experimental phase, to disseminate information related to seismo-volcaeic activity in the region, it was announced.

The portal, created in partnership with the Institute of Volcanology of the University of the Azores (IVAR), is available at www.civisa.pt and “will function as a redundant and temporary system until the definitive solution coordinated with the Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service of the Azores for IVAR/CIVISA is concluded”.

CIVISA said in a statement that the new online portal “is accessible from all over the country and abroad, overcoming the security restrictions that prevented access to the old portal from outside the country”.

In March of this year, the Regional Government of the Azores expressed its willingness to increase CIVISA’s funding, to ensure an “excellent” service, after problems were reported in accessing the website, which has been in operation for 15 years.

TAP inaugurates new air route between Terceira Island and São Francisco

The new air link between Terceira Island and San Francisco (USA), operated by the airline TAP, as of today, brings the Azores and the diaspora closer together and boosts tourism, considered the vice-president of the Azorean Government.

TAP inaugurated this Tuesday the connection between Terceira Island and San Francisco, in the United States of America, which will continue until September 17th with a weekly frequency, departing on Tuesdays and returning on Wednesdays, provided by A330neo aircraft, with capacity for around 298 passengers.

 

Azores Situation Report Wednesday 4th June 2025

PSP carries out “Safe School” operation from today

The Public Security Police (PSP) is launching the “Safe School – End of the 2024/2025 School Year” operation, with the aim of reinforcing its mission of security, crime prevention and delinquency within the school community.

In a statement, the PSP said that as part of the operation, which runs until the 27th of June, will carry out awareness-raising actions and individual crime prevention contacts with young people in the 3rd cycle of primary education and secondary education regarding violent behavior, possession/use of weapons (especially bladed weapons) and drug use.

The PSP will also carry out actions with pre-school and primary school students, under the motto “FALCO – Safer Holidays”, presenting the Estou Aqui! Crianças Programe and the stories “A Pulseira das Conchas”, “A Ana no Labirinto das Compras” and “Um Presente Doce” from the project “Eu faço como diz o Falco”.

The agents will remind children of the care they should take on vacation when they get lost or are approached by strangers.

“Given the calendar of tests and exams for primary and secondary education, progressively, between 6 and 27 June, a greater influx of people to educational establishments is expected in certain periods, resulting from assessment meetings and activities to end the school year, as well as other events promoted by the educational community”, says the PSP.

Therefore, the PSP will carry out actions to prevent criminal offences, administrative offences and incivility, traffic and road safety inspections and commercial establishments, restaurants and bars, and others frequented by minors.

Mistreatment of babies in daycare centre reported

The Casa do Povo de Rabo de Peixe filed a criminal complaint against four employees, accusing them of mistreating babies under three years of age.

Four employees of the Child Support Centre No. 1, a branch of the Casa do Povo de Rabo de Peixe, were accused by the institution of mistreating babies.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that an investigation has been opened based on the complaint filed. “The investigation is subject to judicial secrecy,” a source from the Public Prosecutor’s Office revealed.

Former employees of the institution testified that the mistreatment had been going on for many years.

President of the Casa do Povo de Rabo de Peixe, Carlos Estrela, is not satisfied with the decision and promises to move forward with disciplinary procedures.

Magnitude 4.7 earthquake felt on Santa Maria island in the Azores

An earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale was felt on the island of Santa Maria, in the Azores, according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).

In a statement, the IPMA indicates that the earthquake was recorded at the stations of the Azores Archipelago Seismic Network at 00:18 local time (01:18 in Lisbon) and had an epicentre approximately 40 kilometres “east-southeast of the Formigas islets (S. Miguel)”.

“This earthquake, according to the information available to date, did not cause personal or material damage (…) and was felt with maximum intensity III (modified Mercalli scale) in the parish of São Pedro (Santa Maria)”, reads the IPMA website.

According to the Richter scale, earthquakes are classified according to their magnitude as micro (less than 2.0), very small (2.0-2.9), small (3.0-3.9), slight (4.0-4.9), moderate (5.0-5.9), strong (6.0-6.9), large (7.0-7.9), important (8.0-8.9), exceptional (9.0-9.9) and extreme (when greater than 10).

The Modified Mercalli scale measures the “degrees of intensity and their respective description”.

With an intensity II, considered very weak, the earthquake is “felt by people resting on the upper floors of buildings or in a favourable position”.

An intensity III tremor, considered weak, is felt indoors and hanging objects sway, feeling a “vibration similar to that caused by the passage of heavy vehicles”, describes the IPMA on its website.

With an intensity of IV, considered moderate, “suspended objects sway, the vibration is similar to that caused by the passage of heavy vehicles or the sensation of a heavy ball hitting the walls, parked cars sway, windows, doors and crockery shake, glass and crockery rattle or tinkle and at the highest level of this intensity, walls and wooden structures creak”.

With an intensity of V, considered strong, the shaking is “felt outside the home, the direction of movement can be assessed, people are woken up, liquids oscillate and some spill, small objects in unstable balance move or are knocked over”, describes the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) on its website.