Authorities in the Algarve are engaged in a race against the clock to get the region’s renowned beaches looking spick-and-span for this year’s peak tourism season. This comes as a report released by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) last week reveals that the beach berm at Albufeira’s famous Praia do Peneco has retreated by as much as 24 metres, whilst at Praia do Forte Novo, in Loulé, the dunes have receded by up to 15 metres.
The document identifies 25 priority works to be completed before the start of the summer season in order to mitigate the more noticeable effects of storm damage along the region’s coastline, as well as six additional interventions planned by 2027.
Storm systems that have hit Portugal since October last year:Ingrid, Joseph, Kristin, Leonardo and Marta, have caused “significant impacts on coastal morphology” along much of the country’s shoreline, although the scale of erosion and damage to infrastructure has varied, the agency said. The findings were presented to the press in Porto by Environment Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho.
Across almost all mainland beaches there has been a “significant reduction in sediment content in the beach area”, while low-lying sandy coastal stretches have experienced marked shoreline retreat.
Within the jurisdiction of the Algarve Hydrographic Region Administration (ARH Algarve), the storms resulted in damage to beach access walkways and facilities, as well as coastal retreat, the report states.
Between 1st October and 3rd March, a total of 59 incidents were recorded along the Algarve coast in 10 municipalities: Aljezur, Vila do Bispo, Lagos, Portimão, Lagoa, Silves, Albufeira, Loulé, Faro and Olhão.
Almost 60% of the incidents (35) were linked to cliff instability, while 25.4% (15) were cases of coastal erosion. A further 8.5% (five) involved damage to coastal protection works, and 6.8% (four) were coastal overtopping events.
In the Algarve, authorities also recorded 12 cases of damage to access routes, four involving cliff stabilisation works, three affecting buildings and two involving attached structures.
By municipality, Albufeira recorded the highest number of incidents (23), the majority related to cliff instability (18) at beaches including Balbina, São Rafael, Peneco, Santa Eulália, Balaia, Maria Luísa, Olhos de Água and Barranco das Belharucas.
Across the country, damage along the coastal zone is estimated at around €27 million.
To address the situation, APA has outlined a set of urgent interventions worth €15 million, to be completed before the bathing season begins. The works will be financed through the Environmental Fund, as previously announced by the environment minister during a recent visit to Praia de Faro.
In the Algarve, 25 interventions are planned before the summer, most of them focused on repairing beach access points and strengthening coastal protection.
At Praia de Faro, works will begin with clearing damaged areas and restoring natural conditions, reinforcing the dune ridge through new structures and pedestrian access routes, and stabilising a dune support wall on Avenida Poente.
Other projects include the rehabilitation of beach access routes at Forte Novo, Quarteira, and Loulé Velho, alongside the planned artificial beach nourishment along the Quarteira–Garrão stretch, in the municipality of Loulé.
In Albufeira, authorities plan to repair the access route and mark the risk zone at Praia do Peneco, although the future of the rock formation that gives the beach its name remains unclear. Access to Praia da Oura will also be rebuilt.
Elsewhere in the region: in Olhão, works will focus on access to Praia da Fuseta; in Tavira, repairs will be carried out on the access to Praia da Terra Estreita following structural damage to the access jetty; and in Vila Real de Santo António, a dune protection structure will be installed at Praia da Manta Rota.
In the western Algarve, plans include the reconstruction of beach access routes at Praia do Camilo and Praia Dona Ana in Lagos, works at Praia do Burgau in Vila do Bispo, and interventions at Praia da Amoreira, Praia do Amado and Praia de Monte Clérigo in Aljezur.
Source: APA / Sul Informação
