Almada's Tagus-Side Ginjal Promenade Welcomes Walkers Again 31 July

The long-awaited reopening of the riverfront footpath just across the Tagus from Lisbon is finally on the calendar. Cais do Ginjal, shuttered in early spring after chunks of pavement gave way, will welcome visitors again on 31 July. New safety flooring, fresh signage and a small open-air exhibit mean summer sunset strolls can resume—while an even bigger €300 M makeover is queued up for the years ahead.

Why this narrow strip of waterfront draws crowds from both shores

Hugging the Almada bank for barely 800 m, Cais do Ginjal offers postcard views of Lisbon’s skyline, the 25 de Abril Bridge and Cristo-Rei, all in one sweeping glance. Travellers hop off the Cacilhas ferry, amble past weather-beaten warehouses, and end the walk nursing a Sauvignon blanc at Atira-te-ao-Rio or a seafood rice at Ponto Final. For many expats, it is the first place friends are taken when asked, “Show me something locals love.”

From abrupt closure to a midsummer return

On 3 April the municipality issued a “situação de alerta” after inspectors discovered gaping holes along the quayside. Overnight, fences went up between the ferry terminal and the cluster of eateries in Olho de Boi. Roughly 50 squatters who had turned derelict warehouses into makeshift homes were escorted to a temporary shelter run by the Santa Casa da Misericórdia. What looked like a weekend inconvenience morphed into a 4-month shutdown while demolition crews tackled structures at risk of collapse and stripped out roofing laced with asbestos. The all-clear has now been granted, setting the stage for a late-July relaunch.

What changed on the ground—and what hasn’t

Walkers will notice new anti-slip decking, reinforced railings and discreet LED lighting. Less obvious are the test bores drilled into the sub-soil and the shoring rods sunk behind the clifftop to curb erosion. The municipality insists the path is now safe for everyday foot traffic but still labels the area “transitório”—a temporary fix until the larger redevelopment starts. Barriers can return if monitors detect subsidence.

A €300 M bet on Almada’s forgotten docklands

Ninety percent of the real estate belongs to Madeira-based Grupo AFA, which won approval in 2020 for a master plan covering 90,000 m². Over eight years the group pledges to deliver 300 apartments, a 160-room hotel, 1,200 m² of retail and a 500-space car park, plus cinemas, co-working hubs and an interactive “museu-didático” dedicated to river trade. For Almada’s mayor Inês de Medeiros, the investment will “give back life, safety and jobs” to a strip that has languished since cargo shipping abandoned it in the 1970s.

Heritage versus high-rise: the tightrope architects must walk

Heritage groups welcome the promise to keep the first row of 19th-century facades intact. Yet environmental scientists note the quay borders a stretch of the Tagus estuary rich in migratory birdlife and prone to strong tidal backwash known locally as the revessa. Any piling or dredging, they warn, risks stirring up heavy metals embedded in the mud. The approved blueprint therefore obliges builders to conduct continuous ecological monitoring and to reuse as many original brick walls as possible—one eye on UNESCO, another on rising sea levels.

Getting there after 31 July

The basics stay the same: a 10-minute ferry from Lisbon’s Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas, then a gentle riverside amble. For those on wheels, the Boca do Vento elevator—which links the quay to Almada Velha—has been serviced and extended summer hours are promised. Parking remains scarce until the new garage appears, so expect weekend bottlenecks. The council is experimenting with a one-way traffic loop and timed delivery slots for restaurant suppliers to keep the promenade largely pedestrian.

What expats should keep an eye on

Property hunters have already begun asking whether Ginjal’s future apartments will be eligible for Portugal’s revamped Golden Visa rules. City Hall says it is too early to discuss sales but hints that a mix of long-term rentals and capped-price units will be required to blunt gentrification. Meanwhile, restaurateurs face higher rents once refurbishment of the warehouses is complete; several have signed options to relocate temporarily inside shipping containers so they can trade through construction. If you crave the current bohemian vibe, catch it before the cranes move in.

Timeline at a glance

Demolition started: 5 May 2025. Safety promenade reopens: 31 July 2025. Full urban-renewal ground-break: expected early 2026, pending environmental licencing. Delivery of first housing units: 2029 if the schedule holds. Completion of the entire programme: 2033—just in time, planners hope, for a second wave of post-pandemic migrants still seeking sunshine and river views.

For updates on ferry timetables and event listings, consult the municipality’s bilingual website or the Almada tourism board’s Instagram feed.