The Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) estimates that the works will be completed before the start of the bathing season.

Reinforce the sand in the coastal area stretch

The works in question will reinforce the sand in the coastal stretch of the municipality of Loulé and are classified by the APA as "one of the most relevant interventions on the Algarve coast", aimed at "stopping the retreat of the coastline and ensuring the sustainability of this territory".

"The artificial beach nourishment intervention between Quarteira and Garrão, an initiative of the APA, with the support of Sustainable 2030, Portugal 2030 and the European Union, enters a new operational phase with the progress of the works on the ground, according to the schedule now defined. The intervention should be completed before the start of the bathing season," the agency informed in a statement.

Mitigate the effects of erosion

The APA highlighted that this undertaking is being carried out “within the scope of integrated coastal zone management” and has as its “main objective to mitigate the effects of erosion, strengthen the resilience of the Algarve coastline and ensure better safety and enjoyment conditions for residents and visitors” on the beaches.

The works will artificially nourish approximately 6.7 kilometres of coastline with sand, moving approximately 1.4 million cubic meters, the APA specified, emphasising that “an average widening of the sand of around 37 metres” will be achieved.

Installation of a pipeline

The works began with the installation of a pipeline in the sea, between 2 and 3 April, which preceded the start of beach nourishment the following day.

The schedule details that, between 10 and 11 April, nourishment was carried out in a stretch corresponding to Trafal, between Friday, 10 April, and Wednesday, 15 April, it will be Vale do Lobo's turn, and between Thursday and 21 April, Garrão's. On 22 and 23 April, the work will focus on the final segment, towards Quarteira.

Periods of conclusion

The intervention will be completed in two more periods, from 23 to 29 April, to execute the section corresponding to Forte Novo), and from 30 April to 6 May, for Quarteira, the APA added.

"This phasing allows for a progressive and controlled execution of the artificial nourishment, in close coordination with the Cultural Heritage, I.P., minimising local impacts and ensuring the effectiveness of sediment deposition along the entire intervened coastal front," it assured.

The Portuguese Environment Agency noted that this action is part of "a broader strategy for coastal protection, in a context of increasing pressure on the coastline."

This is a "strategic intervention for the Algarve," which will contribute to the "stability of the beaches" and the "preservation of the natural systems associated" with the territory, it concluded.