Beaches across the Algarve and the Alentejo coast will soon display maps at their entrances showing clearly delineated concession areas, access routes, safety zones, and public free-use areas, in a move aimed at ending longstanding confusion over where beachgoers can and cannot set up parasols.
The Judicial Police (PJ) has arrested a 19-year-old babysitter for allegedly committing 20 acts of sexual abuse against two children, aged seven and eight, in Portimão between some time beginning in May, up to 24 June. It is alleged that the suspect gave the children sweets and let them play video games to prevent them from reporting the abuse, which he recorded.
A 27-year-old British tourist was found dead in the early hours of Monday morning in the swimming pool of a holiday rental property in Vilamoura, in the municipality of Loulé.
The Algarve has recorded the highest number of residential burglaries in all of Portugal this year, as the National Republican Guard (GNR) urged homeowners to take extra precautions when leaving their properties over the summer holidays.
A 66-year-old French man died on Saturday, 27 June, after getting into difficulty whilst swimming at São Rafael Beach in Albufeira.
A section of the EN2 national road has remained closed for a year at Barranco do Velho, in the parish of Ameixial, Loulé municipality, where a wildfire broke out on Tuesday 23 June. According to the local parish president, the closure hampered firefighting operations and an "urgent" solution is needed for the rural town.
The Algarve is set to gain a new private hospital by the end of 2027, with a €60 million investment aimed at strengthening healthcare provision. The region has long struggled with shortages of medical professionals, and a growing pressure on services for both residents and tourists.
The Algarve's long-planned Metrobus project, which was due to enter service in 2029, is at risk of being shelved after local authorities warned they cannot shoulder the cost of the scheme without financial backing from central government.
