Abstract:

This paper discusses the touristic asset of the Azores Lake Gardens, analysing landscape transformations and testing the currently visual preferences of local people (C. Steinitz 1990; C. Castel-Branco et al. 2011). On the volcanic Islands of the Azores lake gardens built in the 19th century in the old craters of Furnas and Sete Cidades at S. Miguel Island had a naturally picturesque setting. Since then, they became cultural landscapes; encompassing extensive woodland gardens and romantic buildings (I. Albergaria 2000), these Lake Gardens have turned into iconic symbols of local identity becoming the subject of representations as part of the tourist attractions of the island. Albeit the high standards of environmental and landscape quality of the Azores, promoted in international publicity as the most sustainable tourist destination in the world (Global Sustainable Tourism Review, 2014), these two lakes are polluted due to an intensive dairy practice impact and became eutrophic. A long term goal of the project envisions to protect these lakes and landscapes to promote them through cultural landscape management and spatial planning within a sustainable tourism framework. 

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