More sand for the beaches in Albufeira and Lagoa council districts will cost €1.6 million, plus VAT, and for Lagos, an additional €1.6 million.
The operation to add sand to beaches at some of the Algarve’s prime tourist locations will be performed during the height of the summer tourist season.
Holidaymakers using the Albufeira and Lagoa beaches also will see work continuing to bring down unstable cliffs as the start date is not until late August or even early September.
The Portuguese Environment Agency is still hanging around for a decision on the money from the Court of Auditors before it can start.
The beaches to receive sand are Carvoeiro, Benagil, Cova Redonda and Nova beaches in Lagoa, and Castelo and Coelha beaches in Albufeira - the latter is the beach used by our glorious leader President Cavaco Silva who has a holiday home in the area.
Only in late September or early October will work start on spreading more sand at the iconic, award-winning Dona Ana beach in Lagos (pictured).
The work in Lagos alone will cost €1.7 million and includes the supply of 140 thousand cubic meters of dredged sand for the convenience of tourists.
Disruption to the enjoyment of the beaches by holidaymakers may see many of them seeking relaxation and sunshine elsewhere along the coast, so all is not lost, but the delay in this time-sensitive work in symptomatic of the bureaucracy for which Portugal is rightly famous.
