The famous rock that gives its name to Praia do Peneco – one of the most popular beaches in Albufeira – is likely to be demolished due to a crack which has raised fears about its stability.
The fissure, worsened by recent storms and ongoing coastal erosion, has prompted the local mayor to call for an urgent meeting with the Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente (APA), the national environment agency.
“As things stand, it will be demolished,” Rui Cristina told reporters on last week, speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the Albufeira European City of Sport 2026 programme. “It has not yet been decided, but that is the technical indication. No works can be carried out there,” he added.
“There is a strong likelihood we will lose something that is emblematic,” he said.
The mayor wants to see the matter settled as soon as possible, as Easter is just around the corner and the “bathing season is almost here”.
Rui Cristina, who holds a degree in civil engineering, said the heavy rain has taken a heavy toll on the coastline. “It has rained like it hasn’t rained in recent years. That ends up fragmenting part of the cliffs,” he said.
He also pointed to a “brutal sand loss on the beaches,” explaining that the stretch of sand between the rock and the sea is now several metres narrower than in previous years. “The beach is much more reduced.”
The risk, he said, is that beachgoers will move closer to the cliffs if space becomes tight. “If there is less sand in the summer, people will move closer to the cliffs,” he said. “They will not respect the safety distance. We know that’s what happens.”
While it has been nearly 17 years since a tragic rockfall claimed the lives of five people at Albufeira’s Praia Maria Luísa, the painful memory still remains on the mind of local decisionmakers, who want to ensure such a tragedy is not repeated. At the time, reports from APA attributed the rockfall to cliff degradation, spring tides and an earthquake three days earlier.
“We have a tragic past here. I do not want that to happen again. The priority is to protect those who live here and those who visit us,” the mayor said, admitting his concerns regarding the upcoming summer season.
The mayor said Praia Maria Luísa is among several areas that need urgent assessment, alongside Peneco. “There are many places that will have to be intervened,” he said, pointing to APA’s technicians as those who will make a definitive decision on the measures to be taken.
Rui Cristina is also adamant that Albufeira receive the same treatment as neighbouring areas such as Quarteira, which will see 1.4 million cubic metres of sand reinforcing beaches along a 6.7km stretch of coastline between Quarteira and Garrão.
For now, the local council is taking preventive measures to keep locals and visitors safe, such as more signposting, awareness campaigns and increased beach surveillance.
