Ministry of Environment Lists 671 Bathing Waters for the 2026 Season — Down From 673 After Winter Storms Knock Five Beaches Off the Map and Santo André, Cerejal and Ilhéu de Vila Franca Join

The Ministério do Ambiente e da Energia has confirmed the 2026 bathing-water register at 671 sites — 512 coastal or transitional and 159 inland — in a note circulated to Lusa. The total is two below the 2025 figure of 673 and reflects the impact of one of the heaviest winter storm sequences on Portugal's coast since 2018, which the ministry says caused 'significant coastal erosion and sediment loss' across the Centre and North.

The bathing season runs from 15 April to 31 October 2026, with most coastal locations opening sooner and most inland river beaches concentrating their season around the July-August window when water temperatures are workable.

The Five Beaches Removed

The infrastructure damage and safety-risk profile from the 2025/2026 winter took five sites out of the official register:

• Ponte da Ranca (Vinhais, Bragança) — inland river beach;
• Pedras Negras (Marinha Grande, Leiria) — coastal;
• Lagoa da Ervideira (Leiria) — inland;
• Valongo / Breda (Mortágua, Viseu) — inland;
• Porto da Calada (Mafra, Lisboa region) — coastal.

Removal does not necessarily mean permanent closure — Portuguese bathing-water regulation requires water-quality sampling, lifeguard cover, infrastructure (steps, walkways, sanitary facilities) and an emergency-access plan. A site can rejoin the register when the relevant municipality has restored the missing element. Pedras Negras and Porto da Calada are the two that municipalities have already signalled they intend to reinstate for 2027.

The Three New Additions

Replacing some of the lost capacity:

• Praia de Santo André (Póvoa do Varzim, Porto district) — new coastal entry;
• Praia Fluvial do Cerejal (Góis, Coimbra district) — new inland river beach;
• Zona Balnear do Ilhéu de Vila Franca do Campo (Açores) — re-entry after sustained water-quality improvement.

The Vila Franca do Campo islet — a near-perfect circular crater pool off the south coast of São Miguel — had been off the register following microbiological failures in earlier monitoring cycles. Its return is a significant Azorean tourism win and likely to generate visitor pressure that the regional government may eventually need to cap.

How This Sits Alongside the Blue Flag List

The 671 figure should not be confused with the Blue Flag count — that is a separate certification awarded by the Associação Bandeira Azul da Europa (ABAAE) on top of the bathing-water classification, signalling water quality and beach-management standards beyond the legal minimum. The 2026 Blue Flag tally is 438 distinctions — 396 beaches, 21 marinas and 21 eco-tourism vessels — first raised at Santa Cruz da Graciosa on 3 June.

For foreign residents and visitors, the practical guidance for the season ahead: every site on the 671 list is monitored by APA for microbiological quality through summer, and the daily classifications are published on the SNIRH portal. The Centre and North coast saw extensive sand loss this winter; expect narrower beaches, exposed rock platforms where there used to be flat sand, and in some Leiria locations active works behind the protective dune line through June.

See also: the Iberian Lynx PACLIP 2026-2030 plan and the new Serra da Malcata reintroduction site.