Thirty-five Algarve beaches have been affected by this winter’s storms, with some losing significant stretches of sand, according to a new report by the Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA).
The most serious case was recorded at Praia do Peneco, where the beach edge has retreated by as much as 24 metres. Local authorities in Albufeira have already asked the APA and the Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil (LNEC) for technical support to help protect the area, where the beach’s famous rock is at serious risk of collapsing and could even be demolished preventively.
According to the report, the storms mainly caused unstable cliffs, damage to beach access walkways and erosion of the coastline.
The municipalities with the highest number of affected beaches were Albufeira, with nine, and Lagoa, with eight.
Across Portugal, the estimated cost of damage along the coastline is around €27 million, APA said. Emergency repairs are expected to be carried out immediately, while larger structural interventions may follow in the short and medium term.
The report also highlights other areas of significant erosion in the Algarve. At Praia de Loulé Velho–Trafal the beach retreated 15 metres, while Praia de Quarteira-Garrão lost 14 metres of sand. At Praia do Forte Novo, the retreat reached six metres.
The findings are based on monitoring carried out through the Cosmos coastal monitoring programme, which tracks beach erosion in areas considered particularly vulnerable.
During a recent visit to the region, Environment Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho said stabilising coastal cliffs had become a “super urgent” priority for the government, particularly in the Algarve where the most serious problems have been recorded.
With the summer bathing season approaching, authorities say urgent work will focus on restoring damaged beach walkways and other structures, funded through the Environmental Fund.
The government hopes the most urgent repairs will be completed by May, allowing beaches to reopen safely before the start of the summer season.
