Unesco biosphere reserve status curbs new construction around Rocha dos Bordões

A natural monument that shapes planning policy

Rocha dos Bordões, the formation of vertical basalt columns in the interior of the municipality of Lajes das Flores, was declared a regional monument in 2010 and forms part of the area classified within the Reserva da Biosfera das Flores, recognised by Unesco since 2009. That dual protection means, according to sources in the property sector, a wide perimeter in which new building is practically ruled out.

Less land, more pressure on existing stock

With much of the island's territory under some form of environmental protection, local developers say the supply of buildable land is concentrated in a small number of plots outside the classified zones, which, according to sources in the property sector, has helped push up the price of both available land and existing houses in nearby settlements, since the housing stock cannot expand at the pace of demand.

The case for the reserve

Not everyone sees the restriction as a problem. Sources in the tourism and environmental sectors argue that it is precisely the strict conservation of the landscape — including the columns of Rocha dos Bordões and the surrounding forests — that sustains Flores' appeal as a nature destination, and therefore the value of properties in the surrounding area. Without the Unesco biosphere reserve label, these sources say, the island would have less capacity to stand out among other destinations in the Azores.

A balance managed by the Governo Regional

The Governo Regional dos Açores, through its environment secretariat, periodically reviews the land-use plans affecting the municipalities of Lajes das Flores and Santa Cruz das Flores, seeking to reconcile the protection of areas such as Rocha dos Bordões with residents' need for housing, according to sources in the regional administration. Any expansion of developable land around the reserve must, in practice, go through specific authorisation.

What lies ahead

For as long as the current protection framework remains in place, sources in the property sector agree that prices for the scarce housing available outside the classified perimeter will keep rising, and that renovating existing buildings will remain, in practice, the only real avenue for market growth in this part of the island.