Sete Cidades halts new construction to protect the landscape of its volcanic caldera

Living inside a protected landscape

Much of the Sete Cidades territory falls under environmental protection designations that restrict building.

Few homes available, plenty of demand

The few houses that come onto the market draw far more interest than the parish's size would suggest.

Renovation, yes; new building, almost never

Most authorised projects involve renovation, not new construction.

The balance between conservation and local life

The case illustrates the tension between preserving the landscape and residents' right to extend their homes.

A volcanic caldera declared a protected landscape

The Sete Cidades massif, with its twin blue and green lagoons, is one of the most recognisable images of the Azorean archipelago and is subject to various environmental and landscape protection designations. These designations severely restrict any new construction within the caldera, with the declared aim of preserving both the area's ecological value and the tourist appeal it holds for the island.

Living in a top-tier tourist destination

Residents of the parish live day to day with a constant flow of visitors arriving to take in the Vista do Rei viewpoint or walk the trails skirting the lagoons, a coexistence that is not always easy in such a small settlement. Even so, many residents welcome the fact that tourism keeps some economic activity going in an area that, without that draw, would likely suffer a demographic decline similar to that of other rural parishes on the island.

Renovation as the only path to growth

With new construction effectively ruled out, the projects that do gain approval are almost always renovations of existing homes, respecting the volume and traditional materials of Azorean rural architecture. Architects working in the area note that this kind of intervention, though more costly, is ultimately the one that most easily wins approval from environmental authorities.

A debate that goes beyond Sete Cidades

The balance between landscape conservation and residents' right to improve their homes is repeated in other protected natural areas of the archipelago, such as parts of Pico designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. The regional government insists that protecting the landscape is, in the long run, what sustains the very tourist and property value of these areas.