Secret Beach Audits Force Algarve Resorts to Reopen Public Sand

Surprise summer audits expose rule-breaking on Algarve shoreline

An unannounced inspection drive carried out by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) at the tail-end of this year’s high season uncovered a catalogue of problems on beaches from Castro Marim to Lagos. Officials focused on 29 stretches of coast that had either generated complaints or recorded incidents in previous summers. Their findings, presented in Lisbon this week, paint a picture of concessions stretching the rules on public property.

Key discoveries

• Two beaches – one in Castro Marim and another in Albufeira – had gates, ropes or other barriers that stopped the general public from entering areas that should be open to all.

• First-aid huts, which under Portuguese law must remain equipped and accessible, had been turned into stock rooms in several locations. Locked loos were another recurring issue; at Monte Gordo the toilets could be used only by paying customers.

• Litter and overflowing bins were documented next to cafés and storage units despite a daily cleaning obligation written into every licence.

• At Praia dos Tremoços, near Lagoa, a resort had planted rows of beach awnings without permission. Almost every sunshade sat inside a cliff-fall danger zone delineated by the Maritime Authority.

• In Armação de Pêra the paid-for sun-lounger deck spilled far beyond its authorised footprint. Meanwhile in Portimão – on Rocha, Alvor and Prainha – hawkers had occupied the sand and even hung goods on the cliff face.

• Disputes continue about whether private operators may forbid bathers from planting personal umbrellas in front of their plots. APA president José Pimenta Machado says the answer is no: concessions rent a rectangle, not the waterline.

Paperwork now under way

Ten administrative offence files have already been opened. Fines are not automatic; if offenders fix the problems quickly, inspectors can recommend lower penalties. The agency has also asked the Shipwreck Relief Institute to replace faded or confusing signs, and it wants cash-strapped town halls to receive training so they can run routine checks themselves.

Next on the checklist: the centre coast

Environment and Energy Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho confirmed that the 2026 inspection circuit will concentrate on beaches between Figueira da Foz and Peniche as well as the inland municipality of Ourique, which manages river bathing areas. Carvalho also told parliament that her department is designing “roving lifeguard squads” able to patrol on warm spring or autumn weekends when crowds surge outside the classic June-September window.

Water quality mainly good – but closures still happen

Portugal has 673 officially classified bathing waters. This year 404 qualified for the Blue Flag scheme, yet 5 percent experienced restrictions in July and 7 percent in August. Among the trouble spots were four Albufeira beaches shut after a sewage pipe burst, Nazaré where swimming was banned three times, Matosinhos which faced a pollution spike, and Vieira (Marinha Grande) closed after a pumping-station breakdown.

Why these breaches matter

Beaches belong to the public maritime domain; concessionaires pay to use a limited slice in return for keeping facilities clean, safe and open. When that bargain fails, free space for thousands of holiday-makers evaporates. Tourism analysts estimate that the Algarve welcomed close to five million visitors this summer; even minor losses of open sand can translate into overcrowding elsewhere.

International parallels

Neighbouring Spain imposes strict limits on new beach construction through its 1988 Coastal Law, while Italy – under EU pressure – is phasing in competitive tenders to stop automatic roll-overs of private licences. France, although guaranteeing free entry, fines anyone who removes shells or damages dunes. Portuguese lawmakers are studying all three models as they debate shorter concession periods and tougher environmental clauses.

What changes beachgoers will notice in 2026

• New, colour-coded signboards explaining danger zones and public-access corridors.• Additional boardwalks and a 200-space car park planned for Galé-Fontainhas to divert traffic from fragile dunes.• Pilot “access check” patrols run jointly by APA and municipal staff, targeting days when online crowd-density maps predict over-capacity.

Until those upgrades arrive, officials urge residents and tourists alike to file complaints whenever they find a locked toilet, blocked path or illegal stall. Reports can be lodged via the APA smartphone app or at any maritime police post. As Pimenta Machado put it, “The coastline is a common good – protecting it is a shared task.”