época balnear
Published 8 November 2026, 22:44
época balnear — bathing season set for a particular beach
The period during which a beach officially counts as a bathing area: lifeguards are on duty, flags are flown and the water is sampled. The dates are set each year by official order, and each beach has its own — usually between June and September, with a longer season in the south. For 2026 the country has 671 designated bathing areas: 523 on the mainland, 88 in the Azores and 60 in Madeira.
Where you come across it. Notices at beach entrances, the APA agency's web pages, conversations about whether there are lifeguards.
Swimming outside the season is not forbidden, but nobody is watching over you and the water is not tested at that time. A beach with no designated season is not considered a bathing beach at all: there is no lifeguard there even in summer.
Official website: apambiente.pt/apa/epoca-balnear-2025