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Welcome to Portas do Mar

The world goes through here

Portas do Mar is a reference and statement of the Azores in the national and international tourism. A new leisure and diversified market area to serve locals and visitors, providing a pleasant experience in the Atlântic, with the azorean label.

“Portas do Mar” was inaugurated on July 5, 2008 with the purpose of requalifying Ponta Delgada’s seafront by converted it into a space of leisure, comfort and into an attractive location on the island of San Miguel.

Portas do Mar has a maritime terminal for cruisers and inter islands ferries, with a ferryboat rank of docking of 120 meters long and a large cruisers rank of docking with 250 meters long.

Portas do Mar also has a recreational marina with an overall capacity of 440 boats, with its respective support areas (changing rooms, reception, storage, etc..), a pool and its support building, an underground car park for 200 vehicles, a large amphitheatre, a pavilion (Pavilhão do Mar) for exhibitions and cultural events, with about four thousand square feet, as well as a garden along the seaside promenade.

This new development is physically connected to the old marina of Ponta Delgada and its respective services.
We highlight the broad range of shops that exist in the commercial galleries, such as the diverse gastronomy restaurants, bars, areas with other services such as a bank agency, Azorean craftsmanship, gift shop, travel agency, rent-a-car, beauty center, pharmacy, cosmetics and fragrance shop, sporting goods, whale watching, and other activities.

Region Context

The Azores Islands are :
- 9 islands with total area of 2.329,7 Km2.
- The larger island (São Miguel) has 746,8 Km2.
- The maximum distance between two islands in the archipelago is 600 Km, roughly the width of Germany or Alemanha or the length of the Portuguese mainland (N-S) which is 576 km.


In terms of distances the Azores are:
- Lisbon – 1.667 Km
- Funchal – 1.134 Km
- New York – 4.120 km
- Brussels – 3.794 km

The Azores Exclusive Economic maritime Zone has a surface of 953,633 km². (The 3rd largest Exclusive Economic Zone of the EU and the 11th in the world).

In demographic terms the Azores had 241,763 inhabitants in 2001 and 244,006 in 2007 (+1%). The percentage of population under 14 years changed in that period from 21.4% to 19%. Compared with Portugal and the European Union, the population up to 15 years has more weight and the 65 or plus has less weight.

Portugal e Açores estimativas população em 31/12/2007, na UE média anual em 2007

There has been a very slow trend of population aging, also translated into a lower weight in the age group up to 14 years, and increased weight on the age group of 15 to 64 years.

In terms of employment, that grew in the tertiary sector (from 51.5% in 1990 to 60.2% in 2008) and decreased in the primary sector (from 23.1% in 1990 to 13.1% in 2008). The secondary sector had a more conjectural behaviour with a particular influence within the Construction sector, which in 2008 represented 16.8% of employment.

The activity rate increased from 42% in 2001 to 48.2% in 2008 (53% in Portugal). The rate of female activity in the period from 2001 to 2008, increased from 32% to 39.3% (48% in Portugal).

The economy of the Azores has been able to offer more jobs, in response, to the growth of the workforce. 1997 was the year when the unemployment rate was higher (7.9%). In the year 2008 the unemployment rate was 5.5%, reaching its minimum (2.5%) in 2000.

Here are some of the financial support instruments available in the Azores:

- PROCONVERGENCIA

- Programa de Cooperação Territorial Madeira-Açores-Canárias.(INTERREG)

- PRO - EMPREGO (Employment Support Program)

- PRORURAL (Rural Development Program)

- PROPESCAS (Fishing Development Program)

- Empreende - Jovem (Entrepreneurship Program)

- POVT – Redes e Equipamentos Estruturantes na RAA.(Territorial Development Program)

- SIDER: Sistema de incentivos regional complementar do POE, para dinamizar o emprego e competitividade da economia regional (Employment and Economic Competitiveness Support Program)

- Fundo de Coesão (The Cohesion Fund)


Regarding the primary sector the total milk marketed in the year 2008 increased by about 2% compared to 2007. Between the year 1996 and 2008 the total milk delivered to dairy factories grew 40%.

In the secondary should be noted that energy production increased 28.3% in December 2008 over the same period in 2003. 72.1% of production was of thermal origin, 3.9% of hydric origin, 1.9% came from wind energy and 22.1% was geothermal (which in S. Miguel, represents 41.4% of the total of energy produced in the island).

Concerning the tertiary sector, the passengers in travelling on Inter-Islands flights increased by 6%, whereas the territorial flights increased 10% and international flights by 24%. The total of passengers boarded in the Azores decreased 2% while the transport of goods recorded a decrease of 5% in the period from 2004 to 2007.
Between 2000 and 2007 the number of hotel beds increased by 106%, but the big increase took place until 2004, 106%. In relation to the number of overnight stays in the same period there was an increase of about 104%.