The network of pedestrian trails of the Azores, being one of the most sought-after products in nature tourism, was reinforced today with the opening of "Entre Montes" (Between Hills) trail, located in Faial Natural Park.
 
"According to one study, about 60 to 70 percent of visitors seek our pedestrian trails," said the Regional Director for Tourism.
 
João Bettencourt stressed that the Region currently provides "about 80 approved trails throughout the archipelago, covering an extension of about 800 kilometres from Corvo to Santa Maria."
 
The new trail on Faial, an island that has now a network over 100 kilometres, stretches over an extension of 3.3 kilometres between two distinct volcanoes, Monte da Guia, a submarine formation, and Monte Queimado, a land formation. It has a low degree of difficulty.
 
The Regional Director for the Environment, who also attended the opening, stated that the new route is "accessible to most people," so that a wider number of people "may enjoy a valuable natural heritage asset in terms of geology and biology, but also an extremely important historical and cultural heritage."
 
In this regard, Hernâni Jorge pointed out the investment made by the Government of the Azores in Monte da Guia with the reconstruction of Lira Viewpoint and the Dabney House; the latter is the old summer house and current museum evoking the history of this American family who lived on Faial between 1806 and 1894 and Lira Viewpoint.
 
The Regional Director also emphasised the installation of Porto Pim Aquarium - Live Fish Station in the old Tufo factory, in addition to landscape and nature recovery actions.
 
Hernâni Jorge said this significant intervention concludes the rehabilitation of Porto Pim Whale Factory, dating from the industrial phase of whale hunting in the Azores; they were awarded for the price of 900 thousand Euros.
 
The new pedestrian trail also covers the old fortifications that surround the bay, the Fort of Greta, the Fort of São Sebastião and the "Doors" of Porto Pim; the latter being a Flemish place name that means Safe Haven.
 
It was an important place where the "mooring" of old submarine cables was carried out. In this context, the city of Horta played a key role in the history of telecommunications between the European and American continents.
 
As for fauna and flora, the new pedestrian trail allows us to observe some marine birds species found in the Azores, including Cory's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea borealis) and the common-tern (Sterna hirundo) or the natural flora of the Azores, such as Azorean heather (Erica azorica), Myrica faya, Estuca petraea and Spiny rush (Juncus acutus).