The bathing season for 2026 begins with a more discerning management focused on coastal safety, confidence, and protection after a winter of storms and the need to reinforce coastal management.

The Minister of Environment and Energy Maria da Graça Carvalho stresses that “more than opening the baches, we are guaranteeing, safety, confidence and the protection of our coastline”.

On 1 May, the bathing season began in the Cascais municipality and several beaches in the Madeira Autonomous Region, starting a progressive process throughout the entire country.

This year, Portugal has 671 bathing waters, two less than in 2025, reflecting adjustments due to safety, accessibility, and environmental quality criteria. Of the total, 512 are coastal or transition, and 159 inland with a stable distribution throughout the regions, with a focus on the Tagus and Western Portugal, with 146, the Algarve with 109, the North with 119, and the Central area with 102.

The reduction is down to five bathing waters leaving, and two new entering the map — Santo André in Póvoa do Varzim, and Cerejal in Góis — plus the beach of the Vila Franca do Campo island re-entering after an improvement in water quality. The exclusions are due to safety risks, damage to infrastructure or decisions on a municipal level and by the health authorities, showing the priority given to protecting beachgoers.

There are still structural challenges in bathing management, such as the growing exposure to extreme weather events, the proliferation of algae with an impact on public perception, and the need to guarantee updated information accessible to citizens, assured through the InfoÁgua platform.

The bathing season will continue to open in stages: on 15 May in the Algarve, on 1 June in 137 beaches in the Tagus, and Western and Southern regions, and on 13 June on most of the beaches in the North and Centre. In the inland beaches, the star tis between June and July, whereas the start is extended until 31 October in the Madeira Autonomous Region.

The Ministry of Environment and Energy calls on the use of guarded and identified beaches, noting the importance of beachgoers making informed choices.