Following last year’s publicity campaign mounted by Albufeira council as to the dangers of rockfalls at the area’s award-winning beaches, Albufeira council again is warning people to take sensible precautions.
Leaflets in both Portuguese and English will be distributed and an outreach programme at 20 of the 25 beaches in the Albufeira area will be put in place through July and August when the tourist influx is at its height, although the official bathing season starts next weekend.
"The goal of the campaign is for people to understand the risks and to avoid plonking themselves in potentially dangerous places when seeking shelter from the sun" commented Councillor Ana Vidigal, stressing it is important convey to the public that the beaches of Albufeira "are safe."
Last week authorities conducted operation to make safe soem areas of unstable clifftop above the beaches of Santa Eulalia (pictured) and Maria Luisa after April storms had caused rockfalls, leaving parts of the remaining structure in an unstable state.
In August 2009 the collapse of a cliff killed five people at the Maria Luisa beach in the most serious accident ever recorded on the Algarve's coast, although there have been at least two similar rockfalls in the past with no casualties, both in the Albufeira council area.
After the 2009 accident the municipality launched a safety campaign that this year will cover most of the area’s beaches and points will be established where environmental education activities aimed at children will be carried out.
Parallel to the work on the cliffs, personnel from the Administração da Região Hidrográfica have provided new information signs about the dangers of rockfalls, these are placed in car parks and at beach access points.
"Beach users also have their share of responsibility and must read the signs and be aware of the danger," noted Ana Vidigal who believes that people now are more attuned to safety advice.
