Two individuals were rescued by crew members of the Ferragudo Lifeguard Station and members of the “SeaWatch” Project late in the morning near the Benagil caves, in an “unmonitored area in the municipality of Lagoa,” where swimming is prohibited due to heavy boat traffic, stated the AMN in a release.
“The National Maritime Authority emphasizes that swimming outside of designated bathing areas is prohibited, between Vale do Lapa Beach and Albandeira Beach, due to the high traffic of boats in the area. Such activities should only occur at beaches with lifeguard assistance in place,” a spokesperson declared.
The two young people were spotted during a patrol and monitoring operation by sea, in beaches without rescue resources, conducted by the Lifeguard Station crew and members of the “SeaWatch” Project, while they were swimming off the caves, accessible only by sea.
One of the youths was already “in distress” in the water, but both “were found to be well, without the need for medical assistance,” and were rescued and transported to Benagil Beach, where they remained safe, according to the report.
Visits to the Benagil caves have been regulated, with access rules coming into effect on August 13, 2024, including prohibitions on landing and swimming access to their interior.
The measures aim to manage maritime-tourist vessel traffic, private boaters, and beachgoers, both on the water surface and near the Benagil cave and sinkhole.
Since the regulation was enacted, landing or using the sand inside the Benagil sinkhole by individuals and companies, swimming or float-assisted access to the caves, and renting kayaks without a guide in the cave area are prohibited.
Limits on the number of boats and kayaks inside the cave have been set, along with maximum visitation times and a guide-to-visitor kayak ratio of one guide per six visitor kayaks for tours in the area.
Penalties (fines) are also foreseen, with severe breaches potentially reaching up to 216,000 euros for maritime-tourist operators violating the rules outlined in the notice.
Located offshore from Benagil Beach, the caves are a significant natural heritage and a major Algarve tourist attraction that draws increasing numbers of visitors, particularly by sea, during the summer months.
The established measures resulted from the work of the Benagil Caves Working Group, formed in August 2023.
In May, André Gomes, president of Algarve Tourism, stated to the Lusa agency that the regulation of access to the Benagil caves yielded positive results and demonstrated that dialogue with the sector and defined measures increased safety and balanced the environment with maritime-tourism activities.
“We no longer have those recurring incidents of too many boats and the mixing of vessels with non-motorized vehicles, such as kayaks, along with people swimming. Therefore, it was indeed possible to see that with the implementation of these [restrictive] measures, these situations completely ceased to occur,” highlighted the president of the Algarve Regional Tourism Board (RTA) at the time.
