Free shuttle service to Lagoa do Fogo begins on June 15 and is free for residents
Ponta Delgada
Secretaria Regional do Turismo, Mobilidade e Infraestruturas
The shuttle service to access the tourist attractions of the "Lagoa do Fogo" Nature Reserve begins on June 15. It will be implemented in a system free of charge for citizens residing in the Autonomous Region of the Azores and at a cost of five Euros for non-residents.
The Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, Berta Cabral, presented today the main operational features of this shuttle system at the signing of the service provision contract with Atlanticoenergy, the only company to submit a proposal under the international tender launched for this purpose.
"This is the first time that this kind of service will be available in the Azores and we are confident in its good results, as it aims to respond to the development of the tourism sector, reorganise road traffic and improve the tourist experience in one of our most important natural assets," said Berta Cabral.
The system will be programmed to cover a 14 km route, according to two itineraries, with six tourist stops along the way, connecting Caldeira Velha, in Ribeira Grande, to the Remédios picnic park, in Lagoa, next to the Casa da Água trail.
Route A, from where the bus will depart, begins at Caldeira Velha, covering the following sites: Bela Vista Viewpoint, Lagoa do Fogo Viewpoint, Pico da Barrosa and Casa da Água trail (Lagoa), then returning to Pico da Barrosa, Lagoa do Fogo Viewpoint and Bela Vista Viewpoint, ending at Caldeira Velha.
In turn, Route B runs in the opposite direction, beginning at the Casa da Água trail (Lagoa) and covers Pico da Barrosa, Lagoa do Fogo Viewpoint, Bela Vista Viewpoint, Caldeira Velha, returning through the Bela Vista Viewpoint, Lagoa do Fogo Viewpoint, Pico da Barrosa and Casa da Água (Lagoa).
The buses will stop at all the aforementioned sites. The service will be available between 9 am and 7 pm, every day of the week, including national, regional or municipal holidays.
Tickets may be purchased through an online ticketing system, available at https://lagoadofogo.pt/, but will also be available in tourist resorts throughout the island of São Miguel that will join the system.
Speaking to journalists after the signing of the contract, Berta Cabral stressed the importance of this new service, namely to control the access of vehicles to the main tourist attractions along that road, such as the Lagoa do Fogo viewpoint, which has registered a significant increase over the last two high seasons, due to the growing flow of tourists.
"This is a measure we have taken, also on the recommendation of the Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores (ALRAA), but, above all, to accomplish one of our major goals: maintaining tourism as the driving force of the regional economy while ensuring the adequate balance in the protection of our natural heritage," he said.
The movement on the road between Caldeira Velha (Ribeira Grande) and Casa da Água (Lagoa) will be restricted to rent-a-car cars, but free to all other vehicles.
Additionally, there was an increase of 30 parking spaces at the Caldeira Velha car park (101 spaces) and at the car park next to Casa da Água (60 spaces), respectively. The use of the car park at the Lagoa do Fogo Viewpoint (48 spaces) will remain free of charge for the first 20 minutes. After that period, parking will be subject to the payment of a fee. Overall, approximately 200 parking spaces will be available.
"Our intention is to encourage the use of the shuttle and discourage long-term parking at the viewpoint. As it is something new, we have some expectations to see how all this evolves in order to assess the possible need for complementary measures," explained Berta Cabral.
The implementation of this system involved several departments of the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, namely the Regional Directorate for Tourism, the Regional Directorate for Mobility and the Regional Directorate for Public Works. This effort demonstrates the relevance of tourism activities and the collaboration to improve the experience of those who choose the Azores as a holiday destination.
