The creation of a new river beach in the Odeleite reservoir, in Castro Marim, is one of the novelties for this year’s bathing season in Portugal, already appearing with a Blue Flag awarded. The space was presented as a bet on tourism in the Algarve interior and is part of a wider set of distinctions awarded this year. The new beach was presented during BTL, in Lisbon, as part of a strategy to diversify the tourist offer in the city, with a focus on experiences outside the coast.
Integrated into the Odeleite Dam Activity Center, this bathing area aims to establish itself as an alternative to coastal beaches, writes the newspaper. The city hall highlights the space as a new tourist destination within the municipality, highlighting the potential of the natural surroundings.
Distinction before the bathing season
The new beach already has a Blue Flag guaranteed for the summer. According to the newspaper, this classification confirms compliance with required environmental and safety criteria. The award comes in a year in which the global number of distinctions recorded a slight drop, says the same source. 438 Blue Flags were awarded for this year, including beaches, marinas and vessels. Despite the reduction compared to the previous year, authorities guarantee that there is no reason to worry about the quality of bathing water, writes the newspaper.
The explanation for the drop is linked to climatic factors. According to the president of the Blue Flag Association, José Archer, some areas were affected in water quality. The announcement was made at a session in Estoril, adds the publication, where official data was presented.
Distribution of distinctions
In total, 396 beaches were distinguished in Portugal. According to the same source, the majority correspond to coastal areas, but there are also several inland beaches included. These beaches are distributed across around one hundred municipalities, says the same source, covering different regions of the country.
Even with the slight drop, Portugal remains among the best performing countries. The country ranks fifth in the world for distinguished coastal beaches. With regard to inland beaches, the country appears even better ranked, adds the publication. Among the new features this year are several beaches that are included in the program for the first time. There are new locations in the north and inland. On the other hand, some beaches no longer meet the required criteria, says the same source, leaving this year’s list.
On the islands, numbers remain close to those previously recorded. According to Nascer do Sol, the Azores still have several distinguished beaches. Madeira is also on the list, adds the same source, with specific changes compared to last year.
The symbolic start of the summer season is scheduled for June. The ceremony will take place at Praia de Mira, a beach that has maintained its distinction for several consecutive decades, says the same source. Among the river beaches, the first to raise the Blue Flag will be Mourão, in Agreste. The date is set for June, which marks the beginning of the bathing season in several regions of the country.
Also read:
