The intervention involves widening the beach area between Vau and Três Castelos (Praia da Rocha), a 1,350-metre stretch of coastline in the municipality of Portimão, in the district of Faro. This measure aims to protect the coast, mitigate erosion, and increase the beach area, the APA indicated in a statement.

The operation, included in the Climate Action and Sustainability Program (PACS), involves an investment of approximately €1.5 million.

According to the APA (Portuguese Environment Agency), the intervention “feeds the natural sedimentary circulation cell to the west, significantly, albeit temporarily, mitigating the erosion of the cliffs on the beaches of Careanos, Amado, and Três Castelos, with direct benefits for the safety of people and property.”

This solution, it says, “prioritises the reuse of sediments available on Praia da Rocha, reducing costs and impacts, and reinforces the resilience of the Portimão coastline against the effects of storms and rising sea levels.”

For the sedimentary reinforcement, sand accumulated on Praia da Rocha over the last few decades will be used, with the works involving the use of heavy machinery and the installation of a pipeline through which the sediments will circulate.

For safety reasons, restrictions have been imposed during the construction period, namely the phased closure of access to the beaches of Careanos, Amado, and Três Castelos and the restriction of access to the sand and the sea on Praia da Rocha.

The APA requests “the understanding of the entire population, users and merchants” and asks that, “for safety reasons, they do not use the aforementioned beaches while the works are in progress and respect the existing signage on site and the instructions of the authorities”.