The beaches in the Algarve and the Alentejo coast will now have informative maps at the entrance to visually clarify where bathers can place umbrellas and which areas are reserved for concessions, passages and safety areas.
According to the news agency, the measure was announced by the Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, after a meeting with several mayors in the region, in a context marked by doubts and recent episodes linked to the occupation of the sand.
Map to avoid conflicts
The new signage aims to make the physical division of space on the beaches clearer. The idea is to present, right at the entrance, a drawing with the different areas of use, allowing bathers to immediately understand which areas are free.
According to the same source, the maps will identify four distinct areas: the concession, the passage, the security area and the free area, the latter being the one intended for the placement of umbrellas or other uses by the public.
The concrete definition of these maps will be in the hands of the mayors, although it will depend on opinions from the Maritime Authority and the Portuguese Environment Agency. Maria da Graça Carvalho explained that “it needs to be clear and in the design at the entrance to the beach”, highlighting that there are cases in which the concession area and the safety strip can reach the sea, depending on the characteristics of each beach.
Algarve and Grândola at the forefront
The meeting was attended by representatives from the municipalities of Vila Real de Santo António, Castro Marim, Faro, Lagos, Vila do Bispo and also Grândola, in Alentejo. These were the municipalities that, according to the minister, have faced the most conflict situations related to the occupation of bathroom space. The governor said that these mayors are “more committed to this issue” precisely because they have been confronted with several episodes and divergent interpretations on the ground.
The Government’s objective is for the new signage to be installed quickly, considering that the summer season has already started. The minister said she had asked municipalities to speed up the process. Lusa writes that mayors have a direct interest in clarifying the rules, as they end up being the first to deal with complaints and doubts from beach users.
Rules stay the same
Despite the introduction of maps, the current legislation has not changed. The minister made a point of highlighting this point, explaining that the new measure only serves to make the practical application of the rules more noticeable. According to the same source, the areas granted remain limited to 30% of the useful area of the beach and 50% of the shoreline.
Safety and transit zones are not included in this calculation, but must remain unoccupied. This means they cannot be used to install parasols or other equipment. Maria da Graça Carvalho explained that these lanes must remain free to guarantee circulation and safety, with the remaining space available for use by bathers.
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