Affordable Beach - Beach for All!

Logótipo do Programa Praia Acessível - Praia Para Todos The Accessible Beach Program - Praia para Todos! was created in 2004 and has been developed on the ground since 2005, under an institutional partnership, at the level of the Central State Administration, which brings together the National Institute for Rehabilitation (then the National Secretariat for the Rehabilitation and Integration of Persons with Disabilities - SNRIPD), the Portuguese Environment Agency - APA, I.P. (then the Water Institute - INAG) and Turismo de Portugal, I.P., and which, until 2007, included the Institute of Employment and Vocational Training - IEFP, I.P.

At the level of the Regional Administration, the environmental entities responsible for the monitoring and supervision of water resources are involved in the implementation of the Programme - on the mainland, the Administrations of the Hydrographic Regions of the APA, I.P., and, in the Autonomous Regions of Madeira and the Azores, the Regional Secretariats with identical responsibilities.

At local government level, municipalities with beaches officially designated as bathing waters are involved, within the scope of Article 4 of Decree-Law No 135/2009 of 3 June 2009, and other entities concessionaires of these beaches.

With this Program - which promotes compliance with the legislation on accessibility, namely the provisions of the technical standards approved by Decree-Law No. 163/2006, of 8 August (accessibility regime), as well as Law No. 46/2006, of 28 August (non-discrimination law) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ratified by Portugal in 2009 - it is intended that more and more Portuguese beaches will ensure conditions of accessibility and services that enable their use and enjoy, with equity, dignity, safety, comfort, independence and the greatest possible autonomy, by all people, regardless of their age and possible mobility difficulties or other disabilities that condition their mobility.

The mandatory requirements that determine the attribution of the classification of "accessible" to a bathing area, allowing the raising of the respective award, are the following:

  • easy, obstacle-free pedestrian access from the surrounding public road to an accessible entrance to the bathing area;
  • Ordained parking with reserved places for vehicles for the service of people with disabilities in their mobility, located as close as possible to that entrance.
  • Network of pedestrian paths accessible on the beach, totally free of obstacles and interruptions, which will include walkways on the beach, whenever it exists, and, in other cases, a paved, firm and continuous route. Where there are gaps, the steps shall be supplemented by smooth ramps with handrails and/or mechanical means accessible to persons with restricted mobility (lifts or lift platforms). This network of accessible routes will necessarily lead:to the sunbathing area (sun hats, awnings, tents), as close as possible to the water; a adapted Sanitary Facilities and an accessible First Aid Post.
  • Swimmer-Savior Presence;
  • Information to the public at the entrance to the beach and on the municipality's website, detailing the accessibility conditions and support services available to people with restricted mobility.

Some examples of other good practices that, although not mandatory, unquestionably improve the conditions of enjoyment of the beaches by these people are indicated, and are therefore recommended by the Programme:

  • Amphibian equipment for bathing and/or walking on the beach for people with reduced mobility (wheelchairs, walkers, Canadians, etc.);
  • Clothes, showers, water fountains and foot washes accessible to all;
  • Shadowed reception and support spaces reserved for people with restricted mobility and people with assistance dogs;
  • personalised reception and guidance of visually impaired persons;
  • Beach bars, restaurants and shops accessible to all;
  • accessible and inclusive recreational and pedagogical activities;
  • information to the public in accessible formats and on various media;
  • Colour coding for colour-blind "ColorAdd" on sea-state flags and in containers for separate waste collection;
  • Systems for routing on the beach and access to the bath with autonomy of blind people.

Developments

The Program has maintained increasing adherence by municipalities and beach concessionaires, although there is a long way to go to achieve the desired final objective: tornar acessíveis todas as praias, costeiras e interiores, possibilitando a sua livre fruição, com equidade e segurança, por todos os que desejem frequentá-las.

In the 2019 bathing season, the Programme covered 35% of the beaches officially designated as bathing waters.

The following table shows the history of accessible bathing areas:

MainlandAzoresWoodTotal
2019189179215
2018189169214
20171941612222
20161831412209
20151791411204
2014171149194
2013162107179
2012162157184
2011153148175
201014297158
200913996154
20081099 118
2007925 97
2006742 76
2005481 49

You can also consult the pages about the program. websites from Portuguese Environment Agency, I.P. (includes an interactive map with the geographical location of the awarded beaches) and from Turismo de Portugal, I.P.

Accessible Beaches 2020: Applications accepted and beaches confirmed to date

Of the 208 applications, 183 relate to coastal or transitional beaches – 18 in the Azores and 7 in Madeira – and 45 to inland beaches, located in rivers and reservoirs.

In a transitional period, during which the annual on-the-spot verification of compliance with the accessibility conditions required for the award is still ongoing, the information now disseminated will be updated as the candidate bathing areas obtain it.

The final list of award-winning beaches will be released as soon as possible.

Attention is drawn to the differences introduced this year in the length of bathing seasons in bathing areas, the fixing of which was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. Ministerial Implementing Order No 136/2020, of 4 June, and there has been a general shortening of the periods during which the presence of lifeguards will be ensured.

Consult HERE the List of applications admitted (Update 24/07/2020)

Accessible Beach – Beach for All Programme 2020: extension of the deadline for applications until 30 April

having regard to the current public health situation in Portugal due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the consequent declaration of a state of emergency made by the Decree of the President of the Republic No 14-A/2020, of 18 March, regulated by the Decree No 2-A/2020, on 20 March, the bodies promoting the Programme – this Institute, the Portuguese Environment Agency and Turismo de Portugal – decided to extend the deadline for submitting applications, initially set for 31 March, until 30 April.

Therefore, municipalities that wish to apply for bathing areas of their municipalities to this award They will be able to do so until that date, with the regional bodies that monitor the application processes.

Given the unpredictability of the evolution of the situation, we inform you that any change related to this matter will be timely communicated through this channel.

‘Accessible Beach – Beach for All!’ 2020: applications by 31 March

It's going on until 31 March the application period for the ‘Accessible Beach – Beach for All!’ programme for the 2020 bathing season.

Applications for the award for bathing areas must be sent by the respective municipalities to the following entities: on mainland Portugal, to the Regional Hydrographic Administrations of the Portuguese Environment Agency to which they are assigned; in the Autonomous Regions of Madeira and the Azores, the Regional Directorate for Environment and Climate Change and the Regional Directorate for Maritime Affairs, respectively.

The documentation to be submitted is contained in a Application Form and one Statement of Commitment (Annex 4), which can be found on this page, where more information about the Programme is available, including the remaining annexes to the Form (Annex 1, Annex 2 e Annex 3), which spell out its main mandatory requirements, and the Award Rules.

This program, which has been developed on the ground since 2005, through a partnership between the National Institute for Rehabilitation, the Portuguese Environment Agency and Category: Tourism in Portugal, aims to make accessible, and increasingly inclusive, as many Portuguese beaches as possible, aiming to ensure equity, safety, comfort and dignity to all who visit them, including persons with disabilities and mobility limitations.

On 2019 have been awarded 215 bathing areas, of which 172 coastal e 43 interiors 35% of all beaches officially classified as bathing waters, with the following geographical distribution: 189 on the continent, 17 in the Azores e 9 in Madeira. 85% of these bathing areas have already provided amphibian equipment to support the bathing and walking on the beach of people with restricted mobility.

Documents available for download:

Contacts