Portugal records increase to 12 beaches with poor water quality in 2025

Data from the European Environment Agency (EEA) released in 2025 show that 12 Portuguese beaches were classified with ‘poor’ water quality, up from nine the previous year. The EEA monitored 682 beaches, of which 559 (82 %) received an ‘excellent’ rating, 75 were rated ‘good’, and 19 ‘sufficient’. The increase in poor‑quality sites is linked to worsening drought conditions that reduced river flows and heightened contamination, especially in inland water bodies.

The affected sites include two inland rivers and ten coastal locations. On the mainland, the worst ratings were recorded at Cabedelo and Forte in Figueira da Foz, the beach of Camilo in Lagos (Algarve) rated ‘sufficient’, and the beach of Caxias in Oeiras rated ‘sufficient’. In the autonomous region of Madeira, the Quinta do Norte and Maiata beaches were listed, while the Madeira archipelago otherwise maintains predominantly excellent ratings. The findings place Portugal below the European average, where 85 % of monitored beaches achieve ‘excellent’ status.

Environmental groups warned that continued drought could further degrade water quality, urging stronger management of freshwater inflows and pollution controls.