The beaches of Árvore (Vila do Conde), Frente Azul, Seca and Silvalde (Espinho), Vila Praia de Âncora (Caminha), and the river beach of Merelim São Paio (Braga) have been removed from the Blue Flag list for 2025, as stated by the Association for Environmental Education and the Blue Flag (ABAAE).
The river beach of Cavadinho, in Braga, has been newly added to the Blue Flag list, described by ABAAE as “a symbol of environmental quality awarded annually to coastal and river beaches that apply for the distinction and meet a set of criteria.”
The ABAAE website also notes the removal of the marina of Vila Nova de Gaia from the Blue Flag list.
For 2025, a total of 404 beaches across the country have been awarded the Blue Flag. In the North, these flags cover 15 municipalities: Caminha, Viana do Castelo, Braga, Vila Verde, Esposende, Macedo de Cavaleiros, Mirandela, Fafe, Póvoa de Varzim, Vila do Conde, Matosinhos, Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia, and Espinho.
Vila Nova de Gaia boasts the highest number of awarded beaches with 19, followed by Matosinhos with 17, Viana do Castelo with 11, Póvoa de Varzim with 8, and Vila do Conde with 5.
Of the 673 identified bathing waters in the country, 127 are located in the North, according to a decree published in the Diário da República on April 30.
This document annually defines the duration of the bathing season, which this year, in the North, runs from June 14 to September 14.
Among the nine new bathing waters created in Portugal this year, those in Rodanho and Foz do Lima, Viana do Castelo, stand out, as revealed by the Ministry of Environment and Energy on May 31.
This year, the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) aims to “make information on water even more accessible” through infoagua.apambiente.pt
