The installation of informative maps at the entrance to beaches in the Algarve and the Alentejo coast aims to clarify the rules for using bathing space and improve its management, the Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, announced this Monday.
The beaches in these regions will now have maps that identify concession areas, passage and safety areas, in addition to free use areas, where bathers can install umbrellas.
According to , the announcement was made after a meeting at the headquarters of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), in Alfragide, with mayors from the Algarve municipalities of Vila Real de Santo António, Castro Marim, Faro, Lagos and Vila do Bispo, as well as the Alentejo municipality of Grândola.
The National Association of Portuguese Municipalities, the Algarve Intermunicipal Community (AMAL) and APA also participated.
The maps must be prepared by the municipalities, following the opinion of the Maritime Authority and the APA. The minister calls for its implementation “as quickly as possible”, as the bathing season has already begun.
Maria da Graça Carvalho explained that mayors have been the first to face doubts and complaints from citizens about the use of space on beaches, which is why they expressed their willingness to move quickly with this measure.
The government official stressed that the maps do not change current legislation. The concession areas cannot exceed 30% of the useful area of the beach nor occupy more than 50% of the waterline. Safety and crossing zones are not included in these limits, but must remain unobstructed.
In addition to these zones, each municipality may decide to keep other areas free, as long as this option is duly substantiated for reasons of safety, circulation or support for rescue operations.
The minister also clarified that these maps do not constitute a legal obligation, but a recommendation addressed to the municipalities of Algarve and Grândola, accepted by all mayors present, with the aim of making the use of the bathing space clearer and reducing doubts generated by the currently existing signage.
Finally, he also announced that he intends to visit some of these beaches soon, at the invitation of the mayor of Grândola, to monitor the implementation of the measure and verify that public access to the beaches continues to be safeguarded.
