This campaign, carried out in collaboration with the universities of La Laguna, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Castilla-La Mancha and Cape Verde, aims to identify the potential of volcano tourism in the region.
Research staff from the Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands (INVOLCAN) and the Institute of Technology and Renewable Energies (ITER), in collaboration with the University of La Laguna (ULL), University of Cape Verde (UniCV), University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) and University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), have recently materialized a scientific campaign on the islands of Sal and Boa Vista (Cape Verde) in order to evaluate the geotourism sites of interest in these island systems within the framework of the VOLTURMAC project.
This campaign is part of the VOLTURMAC project (Strengthening Volcano Tourism in Macaronesia), which seeks to analyze, evaluate and identify the potential of volcano tourism in the region. The researchers have focused their fieldwork on identifying, characterizing, mapping and assessing sites of geological-geomorphological interest (LIGs) on the islands of Sal and Boa Vista.
On the island of Sal, 10 sites of potential geotourism interest were evaluated, including Salinas de Pedro Lume, Regona, Buracona, Monte Leste, Terra Boa, Monte Grande, Shark Bay, Morro Vermelho da Rocha, Serra Negra and Bahia Murdeira. Meanwhile, on the island of Boa Vista, 14 sites were studied, such as Ribeira de Água-Playa Chave, Punta do Sol, Rocha Estancia-Monte San Antonio, Play Santa Mónica, Monte Vermelho, Paria Curral Velho, Prai Joa Barroso, Chá and Praia de Ervatoa, Desierto Viana, Bufadeira, Espingueira, Baía Gata and Campo da Serra.
Before returning to the Canary Islands, the research staff met in the country’s capital, Praia (Santia Island) with Mr. Jorge Cólogan González Massieu, representative of the Canary Islands Foundation for External Action in Cape Verde, to present the main results of the VOLTURMAC project in Cape Verde.
This scientific campaign in Cape Verde has been possible thanks to the VOLTURMAC project “Strengthening Volcano Tourism in Macaronesia” (MAC2 / 4.6c / 298) led by the Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands (INVOLCAN) and co-financed by the European Commission through the Territorial Cooperation Program INTERREG VA Spain-Portugal MAC 2014-2020.
The general objective of VOLTURMAC is to contribute to the strengthening of the conservation, protection, promotion and development of the natural and cultural heritage associated with the volcanic phenomenon in Macaronesia, through the promotion of volcano tourism.
The initiative demonstrates the commitment and collaboration between various institutions to promote sustainable and responsible tourism in volcanic areas, which will enable the economic and social development of these regions, while protecting and conserving their valuable natural and cultural heritage.
