The environmental association Quercus classified 356 beaches as “Golden Quality” this year, 38 fewer than in the 2023 bathing season, with the Tagus/West and North regions registering the biggest increase, with 74 and 71, respectively.
In a statement, the association indicates that, of the 356 beaches awarded, 291 are coastal (82%), 55 inland (15%) and 10 transitional (3%).
In the coastal areas, 58 beaches in the Azores, 24 in Madeira, 55 in the Tagus and West, 54 in the north, 58 in the Algarve, 17 in the center and 25 in the Alentejo were classified as “Golden Quality”.
In the interior areas, 16 from Tejo and Oeste, 14 in the north, 22 from the center and three from Alentejo were awarded.
In the transition beaches, they were classified as three in the Tagus and West, three in the North, three in Alentejo and one in the Algarve.
Compared to 2023, according to data from Quercus, there was a decrease in the number of beaches distinguished in the Algarve regions (26 fewer awards), followed by the Tejo and Oeste regions (24 fewer awards), with drops of 31% and 24%, respectively.
According to the association, the same occurred in the regions of Madeira (minus eight beaches) and the Center (minus one beach).
The Autonomous Region of the Azores showed the most significant increase when compared to 2023 (with 12 more awards), followed by Alentejo (three more awards) and the North (six more awards).
Quercus adds that this year there were 11 debuting bathing areas, awarded Gold Quality for the first time, of which five are inland, four coastal and two transitional, located in the Autonomous Region of the Azores and Madeira, Central, North and Tagus and West.
This year, the association recorded a sharp decline in coastal bathing waters, with 36 fewer awards compared to 2023.
“In internal bathing waters, there was only one less award compared to 2023, while transitional bathing waters were maintained”, the note states.
According to Quercus, the drop in the number of awards was in most cases motivated by non-compliance with the criteria relating to analyzes carried out in the 2023 bathing season.
“There were somewhat persistent levels of pollution, which have not been fully explained, but to which the impact of tourist pressure in some regions may have contributed”, indicates the association.
Quercus highlights that in some situations, “these episodes of pollution led to temporary bans on bathing and had an impact on the parameters of ‘Intestinal Enterococci’ and/or ‘Escherichia coli’, with the maximum values considered in the attribution of this award having been exceeded” .
In the note, the association also highlights the launch of an interactive map of beaches awarded “Golden Quality” available at https://praiasouro.quercus.pt.
The “Golden Quality Beach” award annually distinguishes the quality of bathing water on Portuguese beaches, based on available official public information, taking exclusively into consideration the analyzes carried out in the laboratories of the different Regional Hydrographic Administrations, according to the environmental association.
To receive the “Golden Quality” beach classification, bathing water must meet several criteria, such as “excellent” water quality in the annual classification of the five bathing seasons prior to the last and all analyzes carried out in the last bathing season ( 2023) should have presented better results in several bacterial indicators.
