A study commissioned by the Municipality of Torres Vedras, located in the Lisbon district, has concluded that there remains potential for growth in recreational activities on local beaches, with no general saturation points reached yet. The findings were unveiled today at Porto Novo Beach.
The research was conducted over a year by the Portuguese Surf Schools Association, focusing on “indicative recreational carrying capacities of the water body” across the 12 beaches in the municipality.
According to the report, which has been accessed by the Lusa agency, the global surfing community includes over 50 million surfers and 120 million enthusiasts. This popularity has led to increased pressure on beaches, along with a rise in accidents and “tensions and conflicts among different beach users.”
With this “absolutely innovative” study in Portugal, the Torres Vedras Municipality seeks to “regulate” surfing activities, by determining load limits and implementing “a set of management proposals” for the 12 beaches, as stated in the document.
The conclusions are based on surveys conducted with 997 beachgoers and 31 surfers, along with actual user counts on the beaches, between November 2023 and October 2024.
The assessment reveals that these bathing areas are “far from being saturated,” with 97% of surfers and 100% of bathers finding the number of people in the water “comfortable.” Respondents felt that these numbers could even increase without compromising the quality of the experience.
No conflicts were identified among beach users. Sixteen potential surf zones and 18 potential surf school zones were marked, depending on sea conditions and sandbank formations.
The report suggests calculating the number of surf schools and surfers allowed concurrently on each beach and recommends that the municipality develop “a surf tourism model focused on value and experience quality, favoring this over volume.” This would help differentiate Torres Vedras as a destination, appreciated for its tranquility and high-quality waves with few people.
The study further proposes “inter-municipal coordination in licensing and management of surf schools” to ensure balanced distribution among the Western region’s beaches, preventing overloads in neighboring areas due to restrictions elsewhere.
Additional recommendations include enhancing year-round monitoring and lifesaving systems, maintaining beach access and walkways, and promptly cleaning algae deposits from the sand.
