Coastal areas in Loulé and Portimão to undergo considerable works
The Portuguese government is investing €16.7 million in coastal interventions in Loulé and Portimão, covering a total area of eight kilometres.
The investment was announced by Portugal’s minister of environment, Maria da Graça Carvalho, during a visit to the Algarve on Wednesday (August 7) – the same visit that saw her announce a €1.2 million compensation for regional fishermen.
Most of the money will be invested in the Quarteira-Garrão area of Loulé, which is due to receive €14.3 million-worth of sand replenishment and cliff protection works, covering a distance of 6.6 kilometres. The investment had already been announced earlier this year after a section of the beachside boardwalk near Praia do Forte Novo was destroyed by bad weather.
“It is the area in the Algarve (Quarteira) that suffers the most erosion—we had a major issue this year, in March—and every 10 years we need interventions of this kind. It’s time to carry out this intervention again, because if we don’t, the beaches will shrink,” Maria da Graça Carvalho told reporters after a visit to the beaches of Forte Novo, in Quarteira, and Garrão, both in the municipality of Loulé.
Meanwhile, around €2.4 million will be invested in sand replenishment efforts between the beaches of Vau and Três Castelos in Portimão, covering 1.5 kilometres. The works will aim to use the excess sand that has accumulated over the past decades at Praia da Rocha to compensate for the erosion experienced by neighbouring beaches.
According to the minister, the works in Quarteira “might take longer due to the need for an international tender”, given the more considerable investment being made. The estimated duration for the works is eight months in Quarteira and seven months in Portimão.
The works will be co-financed by Programa Sustentável 2030 (Sustainable 2030 Programme) and are part of a larger €140 million investment in coastal protection under the programme.
