UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

Since 2020 Porto Santo, its six islets and the island shelf down to 100 m depth have formed a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: 27,310 hectares, 5,060 on land and 22,251 at sea. The terrestrial core zones are the Natura 2000 sites of Pico Branco (133 ha) and the islets, with the Terra Chã forest core; the marine core surrounds Ilhéu da Cal and Ilhéu de Cima. The reserve holds more than 1,600 terrestrial taxa, including some fifteen plants found only on the island, one of the richest land-snail faunas of any oceanic island (about 82 % endemic), seabird colonies, the monk seal and the loggerhead turtle. Tourism is the leading economic sector: the reserve bets on development compatible with conservation.