Albufeira campaign on cliff dangers

Residents and visitors to Albufeira’s beaches this summer will be  warned of the dangers of cliff rock falls, as part of a campaign covering 25 beaches in the municipality.

The campaign entitled ‘Protect yourself from the cliffs’ will see civil protection staff, lifeguards and scouts from the Paderne branch, distribute informative leaflets in English and Portuguese warning
beachgoers of the possible dangers.

‘Choose a safer shade… Cliffs are not an option’ is one piece of advice that the Albufeira civil protection authority is passing on to tourists and residents, who often take shelter from the sun and
the wind under the cliffs, despite information boards warning them not to.

This is the third campaign, which will continue until 25 August that aims to avoid accidents such as that recorded in 2009 at Maria Luísa beach in Albufeira, when five people were killed by a rock fall.

"During the summer months, the campaign will be carried out on all the beaches in Albufeira, to inform people about the main dangers and the best way to prevent them," said a town hall spokesman.

Albufeira’s civil protection councillor, Carlos Quintino, said that  "despite warning signs at beach entrances and work that has been done to shore up the cliffs, it is still necessary to make people aware of the dangers and it is up to the individual to avoid them."

The municipality’s beaches are surrounded by cliffs that, despite their natural beauty, suffer constant erosion and are "in a situation of risk that could lead to a rock fall or landslide."

"Because nature is unpredictable, the Civil Protection authority raises awareness to the risk factors and encourages people to respect the warning signs, so that everyone can enjoy the beach safely," said
Mr. Quintino.

Campaigners will be at the Falésia, Rocha Baixinha and Barranco das Belharucas beaches on 21 July.
They will then be at the Castelo, Coelha, São Rafael and Arrifes  beaches on 28 July before moving on the Salgados beach on 4 August and Galé, Evaristo and Manuel Lourenço beaches on 11 August.

On 18 August, awareness will be raised about the cliff dangers at Santa Eulália, Maria Luísa and Olhos de Água beaches, before the campaign ends at the Pescadores and Peneco beaches on 25 August.

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