The bathing season begins in the municipality of Albufeira on the 15th of May and on the 1st of June in the majority of the Algarve region. This year, 595 bathing beaches will be integrated nationally, six more than last year.
The beaches are places where surveillance and assistance to bathers is provided by lifeguards, according to the ordinance to be published in Diário da República, signed by the Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, and the Minister of National Defense, João Nuno Lacerda Teixeira de Melo.
“The number of bathing beaches may increase as long as, among the bathing waters identified in the ordinance, assistance to bathers during the bathing season is guaranteed by concessionaires and entities”, reveals the Ministry of Environment and Energy.
In 2024, there are a total of 664 bathing waters identified, six more than in the previous year.
The opening of the bathing season will be progressive. It started yesterday, May 1st, in the bathing waters of the municipality of Cascais and in some of the Autonomous Region of Madeira. Then, it starts on May 15th, in the municipality of Albufeira. On June 1st, it opens in most bathing waters in the Center and South of the country. And, on June 15th, most of the bathing waters in the North join them. In inland waters, the beginning of the bathing season occurs between June and July.
According to the municipality of Albufeira, in a statement, the opening ceremony on May 15th will take place at 10 am, at Praia dos Pescadores and “in addition to the opening, to be given by the Mayor, José Carlos Rolo, there will be several activities” such as the rescue action, which aims to demonstrate the functioning of the various equipment, and learn about health and environmental campaigns.
The closure of the bathing season will also be progressive from the end of August and lasts until October 31st, with the closure of the last bathing waters located in the Autonomous Region of Madeira.
The Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) will carry out, throughout this period, analyzes to assess whether the quality of bathing water is suitable for bathing, in order to guarantee greater safety for the population.
The National Maritime Authority will have a device on the ground with 27 lifeguard stations, more than three dozen boats and 25 maritime rescue motorcycles, in addition to four dozen vehicles and various other means under the Seawatch, Praia Saudável and Praia projects. Safe, with the involvement of the Maritime Police.
The Info Praia application is active again to facilitate, anywhere and quickly, access to updated information about bathing waters. In this application, favorite beaches can be defined, there is various information (such as awards awarded and existing equipment) and also notifications about the quality of bathing water.
