Beach + Accessible Award
Updated: 28-02-2025
O Beach + Accessible Award aims to distinguish the national, coastal or inland beaches, which, having been awarded the flag "Accessible Beach" during the bathing season, show the best conditions of accessibility, thus constituting as national reference practices, the quality of the enjoyment of its offer of services and well-being that they provide to people with restricted mobility.
Launched in 2009, this annual prize is awarded by a national jury composed of a representative of each of the bodies below and a representative of the sponsor of the competition edition:
- National Institute for Rehabilitation, chaired by
- Portuguese Environment Agency, I.P.
- Turismo de Portugal, I.P.
- Directorate-General Maritime Authority / Shipwreck Relief Institute
- Blue Flag Association for Environment and Education – ABAAE
- Sponsor IACESS
Entities with competence in the management of bathing areas classified as accessible under the "Accessible Beach, Beach for All" Programme may apply, and each municipality may apply each year for a bathing area in each of the typologies – coastal beach and inland beach –, electing them according to the differentiated accessibility conditions it presents.
Applications for the Prize must be submitted to the National Institute for Rehabilitation by September 30 of each year, as provided for in the Regulation and in accordance with the Application Form.
With the publication of a new regulation of the award in 2024, a 1st Prize was awarded to the coastal beach and a 1st Prize to Praia Interior, better classified, consisting of equipment intended to improve the accessibility conditions of the winning beaches or maintenance services of these, and the jury may also decide to award an honorable mention.
Submission of applications for the Praia + Accessible Award to: INR-praia.acessivel@inr.mtsss.pt
To date, the following bathing areas have won this competition:
2009 - The 1st prize was awarded to Praia da Manta Rota (municipality of Vila Real de Santo António) and the 2nd, to Praia da Comporta (municipality of Grândola).
2010 - The 1st prize was awarded to Praia da Luz (municipality of Lagos) and the 2nd, to Praia da Comporta (municipality of Grândola).
2011 - The 1st prize was awarded to Praia da Comporta (municipality of Grândola) and the 2nd, to Praia da Conceição (municipality of Cascais).
2012 - The 1st Prize was awarded to Praia da Conceição (municipality of Cascais) and the 2nd, to Praia de Miramar (municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia), having also been awarded an Honorable Mention to the river beach of Valhelhas (municipality of Guarda).
2013 - The 1st Prize was awarded to Praia do Senhor da Pedra (municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia) and the 2nd, to Praia da Luz (municipality of Lagos).
2014 - The 1st Prize was awarded to the river beach of Pampilhosa da Serra (municipality of Pampilhosa da Serra) and the 2nd, to Praia da Luz (municipality of Lagos).
2015 - The 1st Prize was awarded to Vilamoura Beach (municipality of Loulé) and the 2nd, to Fraga da Pegada River Beach (municipality of Macedo de Cavaleiros).
2016 - The 1st Prize was awarded to Valadares Sul Beach (municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia) and the 2nd, to Avô River Beach (municipality of Oliveira do Hospital).
2017 - The 1st Prize was awarded to Praia do Ouro (municipality of Sesimbra) and the 2nd, to the river beach of Fraga da Pegada (municipality of Macedo de Cavaleiros). An Honorable Mention was also given to the river beach of Monsaraz (municipality of Reguengos de Monsaraz).
2018 - The 1st Prize was awarded to Nazaré beach (municipality of Leiria) and the 2nd, to the river beach of Monsaraz (municipality of Reguengos de Monsaraz).
2019 - The 1st Prize was awarded to the river beach of Monsaraz (municipality of Reguengos de Monsaraz), and the 2nd, to the beach of Biscoitos (municipality of Praia da Vitória, Autonomous Region of the Azores). An Honorable Mention was also given to Praia de Sta. Cruz-Centro, Municipality of Torres Vedras”.
2020 - The 1st Prize was awarded to Albarquel Beach (municipality of Setúbal), and the 2nd, to Nazaré Beach (municipality of Nazaré).
2021 - The 1st Prize was awarded to Figueirinha Beach (Setubal Municipality), and the 2nd, to Osso da Baleia Beach (Pombal Municipality).
2022 - The 1st Prize was awarded to Salgueiros Beach, from the Municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia, and the 2nd to Alqueva River Beach, from the Municipality of Portel. An Honorable Mention was also given to Praia do Pedrógão – Centro, in the Municipality of Leiria.
2023 - 1st Prize was awarded to Praia da Foz do Lizandro, in the Municipality of Mafra. A Good Practice Mention was also awarded to Praia Verde, in the Municipality of Póvoa de Varzim; and to Praia do Ouro, from the Municipality of Sesimbra.
2024 – The first coastal beach prize was awarded to Ribeira d’Ilhas Beach, in the municipality of Mafra, and the first inland beach prize was awarded to Ribeira - Azibo Beach, in the municipality of Macedo de Cavaleiros. A Good Practice Mention was also attributed to Buarcos Beach in the Municipality of Figueira da Foz.
"Praia + Accessible" Award
This bathing season there was a remarkable adherence to this program that distinguished 244 bathing areas and, for the fourth consecutive year, the highest number of beaches awarded since the first edition of the Programme in 2005.
This initiative aims to stimulate the implementation of good practices that constitute clear added value in terms of innovation, comprehensiveness and quality of accessibility conditions and support available to these people and their companions, as well as a consistent and effective communication to the public of the offer provided.
The award is sponsored by the company IACESS Each year, it allocates bathing support equipment or maintenance services to improve the accessibility of the winning bathing areas.
For more information and access to the rules and the application form for the Prize, see the websites of promoters: INR, APA e TP.