A section of cliff collapsed onto a popular beach in Albufeira just before 1pm on Sunday.
The authorities claimed there were no injuries, thankfully this proved to be true after 1,000 tonnes of rock collapsed onto the sand. Maria Luísa beach was the scene of the 2009 tragedy (pictured) when five people were crushed to death.
Commander Rui Santos Pereira said that witnesses did not see anyone in the area where the cliff collapsed.
The incoming tide on Sunday halted rescue operations and staff from the Portuguese Environment Agency are assessing the collapse to see if remedial work is needed to make the area safe from further collapse.
Maria Luísa is one of the Algarve’s tourist beaches that has received attention from the Algarve Environmental Agency to ensure holidaymakers were safe throughout the booming 2016 summer season.
There had been a significant rock-fall in August 2015 and the Environmental Agency’s director Sebastião Teixeira said the work along the cliff-top was necessary to make the beach safe from rock-fall and landslide but at the end of the day, "risk is a personal choice."
The section that collapsed on Sunday has not been subject to remedial work.
Maria Luísa beach became notorious when on August 21st, 2009, a rock-fall resulted in the death of five people and injuries to two others.
Tourism chief, Desidério Silva, repeated warnings to beach-goers to respect the ‘unstable cliff’ signs especially on beaches with plenty of space.
"The beaches that have cliffs are subject to erosion so this is always a problem that is difficult to control,” added Silva warning that nature is unpredictable.
Over at Benagil, Lagoa, a cave sightseeing boat carrying Dutch holidaymakers ran into trouble when it became trapped inside the iconic cave, unable to get out as the tide had risen and the already choppy sea had become dangerous.
The six passengers, including three children, and the crew of the tourist boat were evacuated by the Ferragudo lifeboat.
Rescue work, Maria Luísa beach, 2016
