Bathing Season in Portugal to Start on May 15 With 589 Beaches Under Surveillance

The same noted that the opening of the bathing season will start on May 15 in the Faro district, whereas on June 1, most of the beaches in the centre and in the south of the country will also reopen. On June 17, on the other hand, most of the beaches in the north will reopen as well, AtoZSerwisPlus.pt reports.

As for inland waters, the bathing season begins between June and July.

According to the ordinance published on May 5 in the Diário da República, signed by the Secretary of State for National Defense, Marco Capitão Ferreira, and by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Discë Hugo, these beaches are places where bathers are supervised and assisted by lifeguards.

The government also stated that the number of sea urchins could increase among bathing waters, categorised as such under the terms of the ordinance but not currently classified as bathing beaches. At the same time, assistance for washing is already provided by the municipality or the relevant governing body.

The authority has also revealed that in total, 658 bathing waters have been identified this year, four more than the year before. During this period, 394 beaches were awarded the blue flag, one more compared to 2022.

As with the opening, the closing of the bathing season will be progressive, starting from the end of August, until October 30, with the closing of the last beaches located in Porto Santo.

Throughout the bathing season, the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) will carry out analyses to assess whether the water is suitable for bathing for all users.

In addition, the National Maritime Authority will have equipment on land with 29 rescue stations, more than three dozen boats and 29 marine rescue motorcycles. In addition to four dozen vehicles and various other means under the Seawatch, Praia Saudável and Praia Segura projects, the Maritime Police is also involved in the action.

As the Portuguese government explains, through the Info Praia application, it can be easy to get quick information about the beaches and the quality of the bathing water. At the same time, in this application, beach users can determine their favourite beaches, estimated prices, existing equipment, as well as information on the update of the quality of the bathing water.