Since July 1, the Albufeira City Council, through the Municipal Civil Protection Service (SMPC), in partnership with the National Maritime Authority – Maritime Police and the Albufeira Lifeguard Association, has been running an awareness campaign to prevent accidents in cliff areas.
One of the new features of this year’s campaign is the integration of warnings about the dangers of prolonged sun exposure and the promotion of self-protection behaviours, such as staying hydrated, using sunscreen, wearing appropriate clothing, and limiting sun exposure during peak hours, directly with beachgoers.
The initiative also involves collaboration with the Albufeira Pharmacy and the local Health Authority.
Titled “Nature Doesn’t Warn. Keep away from cliffs,” the campaign includes handing out informational leaflets in Portuguese and English at the municipality’s beaches. Additionally, municipal staff actively educate beach visitors about the dangers and accidents in cliff areas and how to prevent them.
The campaign covers the municipality’s 25 beaches and will run until the end of August, from 09:30 to 11:30, at the following locations: Santa Eulália Beach (August 8), Manuel Lourenço and Coelha (August 12), Evaristo and Castelo (August 14), Alemães and Forte de São João (August 19), Oura (August 22), Aveiros and Oura-Leste (August 26), and Salgados (August 29).
For the organisations involved in this initiative, the cliff campaign offers an excellent opportunity to reinforce their mission of promoting health within the community, thereby engaging with citizens and visitors who frequent Albufeira’s beaches during the summer season, and providing valuable, relevant information that can positively impact their well-being and safety.
In turn, “holidaymakers have warmly welcomed the recommendations of the team involved, heeding the advice and various pieces of information,” notes the city council.
Readers are reminded of the tragic rock fall at Albufeira’s Maria Luísa beach which killed five people in the summer of 2009.
