Sewage alarms and red flags: Nazaré’s iconic beach faces yet another sudden closure

The quick rise of the autumn tide in Nazaré has not been the only thing keeping swimmers out of the Atlantic this month. After a third unscheduled closure in just six weeks, Portugal’s most photographed beach is back on the map — but the episode has left foreign residents and holiday-home owners wondering whether the next bout of sunshine might again be cut short by a sewage alert.

What happened this time?

Local authorities confirmed that a mid-September sewage spill gushed from the Dr. Manuel Arriaga Square collector, sending effluent through the storm-water drain overflow at the northern end of the bay. Lifeguards hoisted red flags within minutes, triggering a bathing ban while emergency crews vacuumed the pipes and health officers rushed off water-quality samples. Three days later the all-clear came back: laboratory readings for Escherichia coli and enterococci were well below Portugal’s legal thresholds, allowing the municipal coast-guard to reopen the beach.

A repeating headache for City Hall

This latest scare follows two earlier episodes — 1 August and 13 August — that forced blanket closures, stranded tens of thousands of tourists and saw 116 patients treated for gastrointestinal distress at the Leiria health unit. Mayor Manuel Sequeira says the 60-year-old sewer network, designed for a fishing village, can no longer handle peak-season crowds. Inspectors also pulled towels and kitchen rags from the pipes, fuelling talk of possible sabotage. Parallel lines of inquiry focus on illegal home extensions, restaurant grease dumping, and the sheer hydraulic pressure generated when Nazaré’s summer population explodes from 15 000 to almost 140 000.

Health advice for newcomers and locals

Portuguese law obliges councils to close a beach when tests exceed safety limits, but symptoms like nausea, diarrhoea, fever, skin rash can still appear hours later. The Unidade Local de Saúde da Região de Leiria recommends rinsing off with fresh water after every swim and seeking a médico de família if stomach flu sets in. Pharmacies stock oral rehydration salts, and emergency care is free under the SNS to all EU residents carrying a European Health Insurance Card; non-EU nationals should check their private cover before summer.

Tourism dollars — and euros — at stake

For expatriates who rent out properties, each red-flag day translates into cancelled bookings. Surf schools reported a 25 % drop in lessons during the August closures, while cafés on the promenade complained of a €80 000 weekend shortfall. Although the September shutdown was shorter, real-estate agents fear reputational damage could shave 2-3 % off holiday-let yields next year. Some investors are already steering clients to São Martinho do Porto or Peniche, both an hour’s drive away.

Who is investigating, and what could change?

The Ministério Público is running a criminal probe against “unknown persons”; no names have been released, but forensic plumbers are mapping every unlicensed connection feeding the main collector. Meanwhile, a municipal audit is pricing up a €12 M replacement trunk line to be funded under Portugal 2030 and the PRR recovery plan. The town’s Serviços Municipalizados have started a smart-meter pilot to detect surges in household discharge, and opposition candidate Serafim António wants a phased sewer overhaul tabled before the 2026 bathing season.

Can you trust the water from now on?

For the moment, Nazaré enjoys “excellent” status on the national bathing-water register. Extra daily sampling, financed jointly by the Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente and the municipality, will run until October. Engineers concede that more flash floods — or another act of mischief — could force fresh bans, yet they insist the beach is as safe today as any on the Silver Coast. In other words, pack your board and sunscreen, but keep an eye on those familiar red flags fluttering against the cliffs.