“The Ministry of Environment and Energy is considering the requalification of the São João Batista Fort and its adaptation as an environmental interpretation centre, using funding from the tourist tax and the Environmental Fund,” according to an order in the Official Gazette.

The government admitted that the national monument, used for decades as a “temporary accommodation structure, with few conditions”, “is degraded and far below the historical and architectural potential it has”.

The island of Berlengas, a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Biosphere Reserve for over a decade, “does not have an environmental reception and interpretation centre that could contribute to a more informed visit by tourists”.

“Recovering a degraded fort and transforming it into a hub for knowledge about biodiversity can enrich the experience of visitors who flock to Berlengas and provide a support structure for scientific activities, especially outside the tourist season”, highlights the Ministry of Environment and Energy.

The government has given the Berlengas Nature Reserve co-management committee a six-month deadline to carry out a study to analyze the viability of the project and how it can contribute to “more effective management” of the island’s population.

The study must also consider the costs and sources of financing, as well as solutions for water and energy self-sufficiency in the space.

Although the use of the fort may be changed for other purposes, within the scope of the project “it could still be considered a suitable accommodation space dedicated to priority activities of an educational and scientific nature, including laboratory facilities that could support research work”, he admits.

The measure is included in the Berlengas Nature Reserve Co-Management Plan, approved in December 2023.

Since 2022, visitors to the island of Berlengas have been paying a tourist tax of three euros per day (half this for children and young people between 6 and 18 years old, and for those over 65 years old).

The measure aims to contribute to its self-sustainability, seeking to establish a balance between nature conservation and tourist pressure.

In 2023, the island received 77,586 visitors, which generated revenue of €207,000 from the tourist tax, according to data from the Institute for Nature Conservation and Biodiversity, which is part of the co-management committee with Peniche City Council.

Despite the economic and environmental benefits, the Government warns of the “difficulties in managing tourist pressure and the number of operators managing boats and groups arriving on the island”.

Since 2019, the island has had a daily limit of 550 visitors at the same time, established by ordinance, to minimize the effects of tourism on sensitive species and natural habitats, given the small land size of the archipelago.

The archipelago was classified in 2011 as a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), has had the status of a nature reserve since 1981, has been a Natura 2000 Network Site since 1997 and was classified as a Special Protection Zone for Wild Birds in 1999.