The proposed solutions primarily involve the construction or redevelopment of existing access routes, the creation of new public parking areas, and, in one instance, relocating the beachfront closer to existing access points.
Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho stated that regarding the restricted access areas in Grândola, “everything that needs to be done has been determined,” and it is now necessary to wait for the installation of new municipal bodies, although the issues had been “resolved with the previous mayor.”
“[For] everything that requires planning and construction, we cannot guarantee it will be fully ready before the bathing season begins. Things take time, construction takes time in Portugal, but everything has been decided. In Grândola, decisions are made,” she said, during a session presenting the 2025 bathing season review at the headquarters of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) in Alfragide, Amadora.
APA President José Pimenta Machado reported that inspections along the Grândola coast identified two beaches with controlled access (Troia-Galé and Galé-Fontainhas), seven with restricted access due to existing or planned tourist developments (Camarinhas, Galé-Fontainhas, Troia-Galé, Duna Cinzenta, Golfinhos, Garças, and Pinheirinho), and one with prohibited access (Raposa).
In August and September, 29 beaches in the Algarve were inspected, revealing violations at Poço Velho beach in Albufeira, where public access was blocked, and Verdelago beach in Castro Marim, where access was restricted.
For one of the two cases in the Algarve, the owner of the development is unknown, “but a solution will also be found if the owner remains unidentified,” the minister added.
“Nothing is under negotiation; decisions have been made,” she emphasized.
APA President José Pimenta Machado noted that for the Grândola area, a review of the classification of some beaches and their access points is under analysis, along with the potential creation of new beachfronts.
In this section of the Alentejo coast, Galé-Fontainhas beach has a municipal project to implement the beach plan outlined in the Coastal Zone Management Program, south of the campsite, with access to a public parking area with approximately 350 spaces.
This project has already been approved and submitted for community funding, Pimenta Machado added, highlighting that this beach also has pedestrian access through the campsite with parking spots at its entrance.
At Duna Cinzenta beach, public pedestrian and emergency access will be renovated, shared with Camarinhas beach.
The ongoing tourist development at Duna Cinzenta beach has committed to providing a public parking area with no restrictions to support bathing use (50 spaces within the development’s building, plus an additional 130-space area).
At Camarinhas, the location of a new beach access is being studied, and the relocation of the beachfront is being assessed to bring it closer to the existing path, which will be renovated.
This beach will see the construction of a parking area on private land, offering 250 spaces.
A development under construction will provide public access and parking for bathing support, with about 150 spaces at Golfinhos beach and around 50 public parking spaces for Garças beach access.
In Comporta, a backup parking area with 60 spaces will be created to support beach use, and in Aberta Nova beach, the municipality of Grândola will proceed with constructing a parking lot with 230 spaces.
Immediately following inspections, signages were installed at the entrances of tourist accommodations, providing information about the availability of public access and parking at the entrances of developments leading to the beaches, APA President noted.
In Castro Marim, Algarve, restricted access to Verdelago beach was identified through a tourist development, requiring a gate with a buzzer, “with unclear signage.”
In this case, notification was issued to install clear signage indicating the beach access route and to create alternative parking to the west, closer to the beach, Pimenta Machado emphasized.
In Albufeira, the main access to Poço Velho beach is blocked by a gate on private land, with non-regulated parking areas located on private properties.
The APA is working to identify and contact the adjacent landowners to open the gate and coordinating with the municipality of Albufeira to plan and ensure parking and access.
