Authorities swoop on Troia-Melides coastal stretch; find 10 beaches with “conditioned access”
News this week that will buoy Algarve residents concerned by activity ‘conditioning access to beaches’ is that environment agency APA is having none of it.
Following an ‘investigation’ by Expresso – outing the number of beaches turned ‘private’ in the Grândola ‘resorts corner’ so popular with celebrities – APA undertook an inspection of the 22 beaches along the 45 kms between Tróia and Melides, and found two beaches where access was controlled (visitors were made to show identification, and pass through a barrier) and eight where access was ‘conditioned’ by the resorts themselves, or “characteristics of the terrain”.
Essentially, APA found businesses/ resorts (mis)appropriating beaches that are meant to be freely used by everyone.
APA undertook its inspection earlier this month, on the request of environment and energy minister Maria de Graça Carvalho, who insists “the beaches of Portugal are public”, and thus the necessity to verify that “the law is being complied with”.
Beaches found not to be complying with the law were ‘Tróia-Galé’, between the Troia Atlantic Villas and Comporta Beach & Golf Resort, and Galé-Fontainhas, now the property of the Costa Terra group. Both were demanding identification of visitors, and failing to exhibit any kind of signage to inform people of the beach’s existence. “APA has corrected the situation”, writes Expresso, “and placed two signs next to the bathing areas to indicate these are open to the public. IP (Infraestruturas de Portugal) will be placing signposts (to the beaches) on the local EN261 in 2026”.
The remaining eight beaches – Camarinhas (in front of the Pestana Tróia Eco Resort), Dunas Cinzentas (only allowing access to emergency vehicles), Golfinhos e Garças (in front of Na Praia), Malha Branca (in front of Costa Terra), Torre e Brejos (bordered by rice paddies and gates), and Pinheirinhos (access made difficult due to construction work) – have all been found with ‘conditioned access due to the existence of private properties’, and of failing to offer any form of carparking facilities.
“To correct these situations, the environmental agency and the Minister of Environment and Energy have announced that new car parks and access roads will be constructed for some of the conditioned beaches”, writes Expresso.
In one of the cases – Camarinhas – APA president Pimenta Machado has said that he is negotiating with the Pestana group for beachgoers to be able to access the beach through the resort. “If they do not reach an agreement, the beach concession (business renting out sunbeds etc.) could be moved further north, close to Dunas Cinzentas”, which has an access road, albeit it is currently not ‘open’ to more than emergency vehicles.
“The resorts of Na Praia and Pinheirinhos still under construction will have to guarantee public access”, Expresso continues.
For the time being, none of the businesses restricting public access to beaches is likely to face any kind of fine. This will only come, says Expresso, if they persist in restricting access.
All of which will be music to the ears of Algarve residents, some of whom have seen local beaches slowly ‘taken over’ by resorts. One of these situations, in Ferragudo, involves a beach where a bar has already commandeered land that used to be a public car park. Locals have expressed concern over news of another business potentially moving in on the same beach, to promote glitzy weddings. “The next thing we’ll know is that the beach is off limits”, said one. This is now very unlikely to be allowed to happen. ND
