The Municipality of Lajes das Flores considers it urgent to create conditions in the recreational center of the Port of Lajes. It regrets the state in which the recreational center has been since the passage of Hurricane Lorenzo in October 2019 and reaffirms the need to restore normality in the operation of that port area.

At stake are the constraints felt by the dozens of people who, individually, collectively, or as a business, frequent that area daily: fishermen, maritime tourism company operators, pleasure boats, and promoters of nautical activities.

With the upcoming high tourist season, the constraints are felt more intensely since activity in the various areas increases and also because it is at this time of year that the port of Lajes receives hundreds of visitors who, by sailboat or yacht, cross the Atlantic Ocean and find, on the island of Flores, the first stop in Europe, where they also hope to be able to enjoy both adequate operating conditions in the port area and the support infrastructures that are essential to the activity.

The town council has been alerting the authorities to the urgency of the situation by establishing several contacts, namely in June 2024, during the statutory visit of the Regional Government to the island of Flores, in which it had the opportunity to raise several issues that are of concern to the municipality and the island, and more recently in a meeting with the Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, Dr. Berta Cabral, and with the Regional Director for Mobility, Dr. Francisco Bettencourt.

In addition to the need to redevelop the recreational hub, the need to respect the MARGARETHE ship’s stopover for unloading merchandise, scheduled for Wednesday, and to alternate the arrival of the MARGERETHE and THOR B vessels on different weeks to minimize the constraints caused to Flores’ traders and population was also highlighted.

The interest and urgency of resuming maritime passenger transportation to the island of Flores was also highlighted, given the importance it would have for the local economy during the high season and especially during the local festivities. The executive pointed out that it would be possible to provide this service using the vessels operating in the central group, allowing passengers and vehicles to travel between the islands of the triangle. The regional government departments responsible for this area must assess this situation.

From Press Release.

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.