CARING FOR THE COAST

 

Greenpeace Portugal is adamant that no form of construction should be allowed if it risks erosion or flooding anywhere along the Algarve’s coastline.

Plans have long been known about building luxury villas and sports facilities, especially for holidaymakers, in coastal areas with special environmental qualities. They have always been condemned by this blogsite and by all other serious environmentalists, organisations and individuals in the region.

Developers want to make lots of money. Those who really care about the coast believe it will harm, not help, the Algarve’s financial situation.

Environmental and planning rules together are essential, particularly in high-risk areas, and this is regarded by environmentalists as an immediate priority.

The combined effects of urban development for touristic or any other purposes, plus the pressure of climate change, are making sensible decisions more difficult.

“We cannot continue to wait for a beach to disappear, a cliff to collapse, or infrastructure to be at risk before we act,” says Tom Melajoki Roseiro, director of Greenpeace Portugal. “The challenge now is to turn what we know into coherent political policies and long-term strategies.”

As the Algarve Daily News has emphasised, Greenpeace Portugal believes the Algarve “faces a perfect storm of unsustainable development and climate change.”

The Algarve’s coastline faces different challenges in different areas. Between Lagos and Albufeira, beach users are occasionally at risk due to cliff collapses.

Further east, in Vilamoura, Quarteira and beyond, the shoreline is affected by dense urban development, shoreline retreat and exposure to storms.

CONTROLLING WILDFIRES

 

Many strict rules are in place in Portugal to reduce the risk of wildfires in the sort of rural and forest areas currently devastating large parts of France and Spain.

 

Landowners in Portugal face heavy fines unless they clear undergrowth within 50 metres of homes, outbuildings and trees in the spring. For larger settlements the distance is 100 metres. Wherever, tree branches need to be trimmed to 4 metres above ground.

 

Open fires in risk areas are banned. No cooking fires or barbeques are allowed in any but approved spots. Nor are bonfires, campfires, garden waste or piled wood fires.

 

No smoking or dropping of cigarette butts is permitted in forests, woodlands or rural paths.

 

 The use of heavy machinery is restricted as is letting off festive fireworks unless specifically authorised.

EXTREME WILDFIRE WARNINGS

 Wildfire risk warnings for most of the  mainland, north to south,  today, Thursday.

https://www.lusa.pt/lusanews/article/2026-07-23/47505263/portugal-wildfire-risk-warnings-for-most-of-mainland-on-thursday

ANNIVERSARY CELEBATIONS

  

Preparations are underway for Portugal’s 900^th anniversary celebrations.

 

The extensive celebrations starting next year will consist of a series of major events paying tribute to the country’s most significant historical occasions starting with the founding of Portugal with the Battle of Sao Mamede in 1128 when Alfonso Henrique took control of the country.

 

The most important events that followed were the military victory in the Battle of Ourique in 1139 and the Treaty of Zamora, the start of the formal recognition of Portugal’s independence in 1143. 

 

A national organising committee is being led by General Commissioner Paulo Portas with the support of present and former presidents, delegates from former parliamentary miniseries, and historical academics.

 

Their final plan will not be announced until the end of this year.  

MORE FROMA LUSA NEWS AGENCY

Pump prices are expected to rise by five to 12 cents a litre this coming week.  Petrol is expected go up five cents per litre and diesel by 12 cents should the current international fuel crisis continue.  

 

Parking charges in Lisbon are set to rise for the first time in 15 years.

 

The European Commission warned on Friday that the efficiency of Portugal’s law and tax courts continues to deteriorate and called for appropriate measures to be taken to reverse this trend, including introducing infrastructure and staffing improvements.

 

School pupils with marks suspended will learn their final grade results today, Sunday.

FOUR LEADING NEWS STORIES

 

 

Firefighters have been battling all week with blazing forests, mainly in the most vulnerable central areas of Portugal. The blazes have been driven by extreme heat and in some cases strong winds. A fire risk index (RCM) is published daily for every municipality in the country. A map on the IMPA website shows the wildfire locations.

 

Parliament has approved a Burqua Law bill banning the wearing of face coverings in public. Only MPs on the t opplefosed the bill which originated with the right-wing Chega party.

Parliament has approved a bill to unlock the sale of jointly inherited property at the request of a single heir. The bill was approved on Friday in a final overall parliamentary vote.

The  Salue of homes in 2025 sold at a record 41.2 billion euros. That was a 21.7% increase compared to the previous year. This was confirmed on Friday by Statistics Portugal (INE). 

RIP BONNIE TYLER

 

The Welsh pop singing legend Bonnie Tyler died yesterday in the Algarve where she lived for many years. 

 

 Her death at the age of 75 in a Faro hospital has been described as “unexpected” and has deeply shocked her family and millions of fans around the world.

 

Last month she had emergency surgery involving an induced coma.

 

Bonnie loved living permanently in the Algarve. She regarded it as a beautiful and peaceful place away from the spotlight. She adored the region’s beaches, climate, cuisine and the hospitality of the local people.  

 

   

 

Best known for her hit songs of the 70s and 80s, Bonnie’s most ico9nic ballad was “The Total Eclipse of the Heart”,

 

which she always sang with astounding vocal force.

 

She will be forever respected and missed in this part of the world and indeed globally.

THIS WEEK’S TOP HEADLINES

 

Firefighters have been battling all week with blazing forests, mainly in the most vulnerable central areas of Portugal. The blazes have been driven by extreme heat and in some cases strong winds.  

 A fire risk index (RCM) is published daily for every municipality in the country. A map on the IMPA website shows the wildfire locations.

 

Parliament has approved a Burqua Law bill banning the wearing of face coverings in public. Only MPs on the left opposed the bill which originated with the right-wing Chega party.

 

 

 

Parliament has approved a bill to unlock the sale of jointly inherited property at the request of a single heir. The bill was approved on Friday in a final overall parliamentary vote.

 

The value of homes in 2025 sold at a record 41.2 billion euros. That was a 21.7% increase compared to the previous year. This was confirmed on Friday by Statistics Portugal (INE). 

Wildfires are burning at 78 locations nationwide driven by extreme heat and strong winds.

 

The worst fires  have spread from near Vuvuzela in central across several other municipalities. Evacuation have been ordered while  2412   firefighters and many water-laden aircraft  struggle to cope with more than 7,000 hectares ablaze.

 

No major wildfires have been reported in the Algarve so far. The huge number of holiday visitors to this region can relax while paying attention to alerts and taking sensible precautions.     

EARTHQUAKES IN PORTUGAL

Portugal may one day in the future suffer a massive earthquake like the one in Venezuela according to seismologists.

 

Portugal’s worst earthquake in history caused devastation and killed 30,000-40,000 people in Lisbon and along the south-western and southern coast, and thousands more in Morocco, north Africa. It occurred on the Christian holy All Saint’s Day in 1755.

 

Earthquakes are frequent in the Portuguese Atlantic archipelago of the Azores but seldom cause too much trouble.  Unfortunately, mainland Portugal is located near the boundary of the Eurasian and African tectonic plates meaning it is exposed to significant seismic activity.

 

While another major earthquake in mainland Portugal seems likely, fear not at least for now. Seismologists say the chances are moderate. Our children and grandchildren need to know that there is only a 10% chance of a terrible earthquake wrecking their locality in the next 50 years

HEATWAVES GERRING HOTTER

What is much worse than the severe early summer heatwaves now breaking temperature records in Europe is the fact that top global leaders are much more focused on other matters such as waging war, the cost of living and immigration.

The United States is one of the worst greenhouse gas polluters causing dramatic climate  change , yet President Trump is in denial. He blandly calls the existential threat of global warming a hoax.

 Meteorologists say that the latest blistering Euopean heatwaves provide unequivocable evidence that global warming is here not only to stay but to get very much wore in the decades ahead.

In Portugal temperatures are forecast to drop in the coming days but have recently been in the high 30s nudging into the 4os, especially in central and southern inland areas. In the Algarve coastal resorts and towns, the daily highs have been generally up to 30 C ( 86 F) though it has felt warmer due to high humidity levels. Nights have cooled to around 20C or less. A record 40.3 C was set for the month of May, though no new records have been recorded this month.

The heat has been fierce in neighbouring Spain and France where temperatures have been soaring above 40 C in some places. Several June records have been smashed in France, Spain and even the United Kingdom. The UK has been experiencing historic June heat that has topped the high 30s.    

What all of this tells us is that current international concern about global warming is grossly insufficient. It is high time that full attention is focused on using renewable energy sources and totally abandoning the fossil fuels that China, the United States, India and Russia are currently so dependant on. 

Portugal has been leading the way in renewable forms of energy. It has replaced fossils such as coal and gas and now creates most of its electric with hydropower, offshore wind and solar sources. 

DEFENCE SPENDING

 

 

In the light of the resignation of Britain’s Defence Secretary John Healey claiming that Prime Minister Sir Keir Stamer is not spending enough on defence, it is worth noting that  Portugal does not publicly disagree with the UK's defence spending as both nations are bound by their history, centuries-old bilateral alliance and NATO obligations.

 

Portugal focuses on its own rearmament while actively encouraging the UK and Europe to strengthen industrial and security partnerships.

 

Portugal is committed to achieving NATO's defence spending by targeting 2% of GDP years ahead of schedule.

The Portuguese government is pursuing this through domestic capability enhancements, specifically in maritime and air defence.

 

To cooperate with EU-UK Security, Portuguese leaders have historically pushed for the European Union to establish "broad structures of partnership" with the UK, ensuring that any capability gaps are addressed through collaborative security frameworks rather than isolation.

 

While the UK's defence plans have been delayed by internal funding debates, Portugal has deepened its industrial ties with Britain. Portuguese tech and defence firms are actively investing hundreds of millions of euros into British-based manufacturing, particularly for the UK's shift toward unmanned and autonomous systems.

 

In prioritising NATO over a European Army, Portugal continues to oppose the creation of a separate European army, advocating instead for the modernisation of allied forces - including the UK'- strictly within the NATO framework.

POPE’S VISITS TO IBERIA

                     Rotalty and children welcome the pontiff to Madrid

Pope Leo, who is currently visiting Spain is planning to be in Portugal in July next year to celebrate the 110th anniversary of the apparitions at the Sanctuary of Fátima.

 

President António José Seguro has extended an official invitation for the Portugal visit. Vatican discussions for the apostolic journey are already underway.

 

In a speech soon after arriving in Spain un Saturday Pope Leo urged against division and said the world is crying out for peace.

“Our age, seemingly shaken by terrible imbalances and conflicts, cries out from its depths for peace,” the pontiff said, in an address in front of King Felipe VI at the Royal Palace in Madrid.

 

The message of peace, he said, “at present unfortunately strikes some as naïve and others as confrontational.” It is, however, welcomed by those “who do not shut themselves off in preconceived ideologies, but are rather open to the truth.”

Later in the speech, he added: “For the love of truth, I invite everyone to set aside the divisive and polarizing narratives of your societal reality and history, so as to overcome sterile simplifications through the fruitful appreciation of complexity.”

 

 

DISGRACED FORMER VISITOR

The front of  the holiday home, 

which has a sea view and a swimming pool at the back

Peter Murrell, the convicted former chief executive of the Scottish National Party, regularly visited the Algarve with his now estranged wife, the former SNP First Minister Nichola Sturgeon.

Murrell has pleaded guilty in the UK to embezzling more than £400,000 from the SNP party over 12 years.

 

Before they parted, the couple regularly spent summer holidays together in a luxury villa in the Algarve near their favourite town, Albufeira. Murrell maintained a partial ownership of the villa for some years. He and Nichola frequented cafes and restaurants popular with the local community.

 

These holidays continued throughout Nichola’s tenure as Scotland's first minister, typically serving as a quiet retreat from the relentless demands of Scottish politics.

 

The visits were mostly private, spent reading and relaxing when not dining out or exploring parts of the Algarve’s beautiful coastline.

 In a lengthy interview with the BBC on Sunday, Nichola Sturgeon denied covering up problems in the party's finances or having any knowledge or Murrell's wrongdoing.

Sturgeon told the BBC: “I'm serving a sentence for crime I didn't commit.” She added: "I will not apologise for the crimes of my former husband".

It remains to be seen if Miss Sturgeon retirns for summer holidays in the Algarve,  Murrell will certainly not.

LATEST FROM THE LUSA AGENCY

 

Portugal's national statistics institute (INE) confirmed on Friday that the country's economy grew 2.3% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025 and recorded zero growth compared to the final quarter of that year.

 Portuguese Competition Authority (AdC) has given the green light to the purchase of aviation catering group, Catering Por, by the Swiss group Gate Gourmet.

The Portuguese government is set to launch an auction for 750 megavolt-amperes (MVA) of battery capacity and draw up contracts for difference (CfDs) to stabilise energy prices and boost investment in the sector, the minister for the environment and energy announced on Friday.

The Portuguese govern ment will put the National Energy Storage Strategy out for public consultation on 29 June, as part of its policy to strengthen the energy transition, the environment and energy minister announced on Friday.

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) will re-elect Luis Montenegro as party president on Saturday as he stands as the sole candidate for a new two-year mandate, facing no upcoming elections but navigating international uncertainty and the domestic "shadow" of former PM, Pedro Passos Coelho.

Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro has called for cooperation from the public in preventing rural fires, advocating a joint effort between the state, local authorities, landowners and citizens to reduce risks.

GOODBYE BELOVED SALLY G!

 

A remarkably big crowd turned out on Thursday to pay tribute to Sally Goodchild who died recently of cancer.

 

The gathering on the beachside by Club Nau in Ferragudo was organised by Sally’s husband Sean, and attended among many, many others by Sean’s elderly mother Colleen, Sally; s brother and sister Peter and Julie, and her daughters Emily and Sarah.

 

Warm speeches focused on praising Sally’s deep commitment to caring and helping in so many ways.  She was a truly wonderful person who will be very sadly missed.

 

Dearest Sally, rest in peace.   

FRENCH ABANDONED CHILDREN

The mother

The father of the two French children recently abandoned in Portugal by their 41-year-old mother and her 55-year-old partner has broken his silence and revealed that he is awaiting official authorisation to be reunited with the young boys..

Euro News is reporting that the father, who lives in France, has thought about his two boys "every second" since learning of their disappearance.

A court in Setubal has ruled that the mother and her partner will remain in custody after allegedly abandoning her boys aged four and five on a roadside in the south of Portugal.

The boys were found in the evening crying beside a road near Alcacer do Sal, about 100km (60 miles) south of Lisbon. The woman and her partner, identified by authorities as Marine R and Marc B, were later arrested in Fatima.

As they were led into court the man shouted "I love you" in French and the boys' mother sang.

A judge ordered they be placed in pre-trial detention, French and Portuguese media report. They are both accused of child endangerment and abandonment, while the man faces an additional charge of aggravated assault.

Meanwhile, Euronews has reported that he children, have been with a French foster family in Lisbon before returning   to France.

Authorities told the Setubal courthouse that the two boys had been living with their 41-year-old mother in the eastern French city of Colmar, while their father had limited and supervised visitation rights, local media report.

SALLY GOODCHILD’s PASSING

The life of the greatly loved Sally Goodchild will be celebrated next Thursday (28^th May) in a gathering of family and friends at the Club Nau next to the beach at Praia Grande, Ferragudo.

It is being organised by her husband, Sean, who closely cared for Sally until she finally passed away a few days ago having just reached the age of 64. 

Sally’s daughters Emily and Sarah, her brother Peter and sister Julie, attended a cremation service.

Thursday’s gathering will start at 3 pm and continue into the evening. Everyone who knew Sally will be welcome at Club Nau.

Words of admiration will be spoken publicly at 5 pm by some of those who knew Sally best.

Sally’s favourite colour was blue and so those attending on Thursday are invited to wear something blue or clothing of other bright colours.

Any photos of Sally - or just a single flower, - would be appreciated.

Len  Port

LATEST TOP NEWS

 
The Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, said today that, after repairing the damage caused by the bad weather, the Government will focus on making the territory more resilient to inclement weather.
The PSD president and candidate for re-election stated today that he will maintain his commitment to "not having a government solution with either Chega or the PS." He considers it absurd to talk about "sanitary cordons" in Parliament.
 
The leader of Chega, André Ventura, assured today that he "will never sign" a labour reform that makes life more difficult for workers and asked the Government to make an effort to reach an agreement.
The Portuguese Foreign Minister, Paulo Rangel, is not expected to be questioned by parliament this week about the Lajes base, as no meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee is scheduled, a parliamentary source told Lusa.
 
The Railway Union of Itinerant Commercial Reviewers (SFRCI), which represents workers with commercial functions (itinerant and fixed) at CP (Portuguese Railways), announced today that it will join the general strike on June 3rd against the labour reform.
 
The government today refused to suspend the application of the new European border control system at airports during the summer, although it admitted that the collection of biometric data could be interrupted for limited periods.
 
 
·          
The Prime Minister today invited young people to stay in the country to take advantage of their potential instead of squandering it "elsewhere," highlighting Monção as an example of technological connectivity, competitiveness, and quality of life.
 
The Public Prosecutor's Office today requested the conviction for homicide of the PSP officer who killed Odair Moniz in the Cova da Moura neighorhood, Amadora, in October 2024, arguing that the officer did not act in self-defence.
 
 
Construction work on the Pisão dam in Crato, Portalegre district, has been suspended again, following a decision by the Central Administrative Court of the South (TCAS), after a legal appeal filed by four environmental associations, it was revealed today.

top stories TODAY

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 Drug trafficking and cybercrime are the most frequent crimes in the Azores, according to the Portuguese Judicial police (PJ) who have significantly increased the number of their officers on the autonomous islands.

 

The government is to approve a proposal to revise labour legislation on Thursday.

 

The president of the Portuguese National Authority of Medicines and Health Products, assured today that all decisions made by the authorities regarding vaccination during the pandemic were based on real-world evidence and that safety steps were never skipped.

Teachers believe that the government's proposals devalue the teaching profession. 

 
 
 
 
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MADELEINE: BREAKING NEWS

A new documentary is in the making about the disappearance in May 2002 about Madeleine McCann who disappeared while on holiday with her  parents and two younger siblings in the Algarve coastal village of Praia da Luz in May 2002.

Described as a "mini" documentary, it is being compiled by Brent Stellender, a Norwegian private detective, Bernt Stellander, who spent seven years investigating in the area next to Praia do Luz. It resulted  in a comprehensive study comprising 850 pages entitled The Sudden Impulse.

Mr Stellander has told us that "many surprises are coming and new evidence against the McCanns.".

Portugal Newswatch  will continue to report  on this story as it develops.