The resort town of Espinho has been off-limits for swimming since August 27, with restrictions introduced at all four central beaches — Baía, Seca, Rua 37 and Frente Azul. The reason is the same everywhere: water samples showed elevated levels of intestinal enterococci and E. coli — bacteria used as indicators of fecal contamination. Such readings usually point to a sewage discharge somewhere upstream or in the coastal area.
That same day, warnings were issued at four river beaches along the Cávado River in the Braga municipality — Adaúfe, Cavadinho, Ponte do Bico and Merelim S. Paio. This is particularly significant for Braga: the coast is about an hour away by car, while river beaches are the main summer escape, and now all of them are closed at once. The season there is due to run until September 14. At another beach in the district, Verim in Póvoa de Lanhoso, a red flag was raised because of the risk of discharges.
In Matosinhos, restrictions were introduced at six beaches, although three have already reopened. Swimming is still discouraged at Marreco, Cabo do Mundo and the Porto metropolitan area’s main city beach, Praia de Matosinhos. For the latter, this is the third such incident of the summer.
One important detail: the beaches are not technically closed. The Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) issues a recommendation, while an actual swimming ban, marked by a red flag, is imposed by the harbor master on the instructions of the delegado de Saúde Pública, the public health authority’s representative. Usually, after repeat testing, the water is cleared within a day or two.
