Sunny Southern Portugal: The Algarve Region
The southwest coast of Portugal, renowned for its scenic locations with soft cliffs and sandy beaches, has seen significant overdevelopment over the past two decades, leading to environmental degradation and concerns about sustainable development.
Tourism, particularly golf and mass tourism, has been a key driver of this growth. However, the issues with overdevelopment and environmental degradation are expected to worsen if no action is taken.
Golf is a significant tourism product in Portugal, and a study of the sustainable limits of golf development has been undertaken. On the other hand, some illegal coastal dwellings are being removed in certain locations to prevent further environmental damage.
The environmental quality of the west coast has suffered due to overdevelopment. Buildings have encroached too closely to the sea in many areas, putting them at risk from erosion. Visitors and second-home owners, however, are not overly concerned about the loss of environmental quality due to the warmer climate and relative affordability.
Despite these issues, the west coast of Portugal remains a popular destination for tourists. The Old Town of Faro, with its cultural attractions, is a notable draw on the central coast, while the quieter west coast still offers wild, undeveloped beaches where one can escape the crowds. Less spoiled coastal stretches can be found to the west of Lagos, another historically interesting location.
To address these challenges, the Portuguese government is taking several steps. Recommendations and ongoing initiatives emphasize promoting sustainable, low-carbon, experience-based tourism linked to maritime heritage and environmental stewardship.
For example, the EU-backed FISATUR project fosters diversification of maritime-fisheries jobs towards sustainable tourism, addressing skills gaps in digital communication, sustainability, and business planning for coastal communities.
Environmental preservation is prioritized in development philosophies, especially in areas like Comporta, where architectural harmony and low-impact eco-developments are encouraged to maintain the region’s agricultural character and natural landscape.
The Portuguese government is also tightening rules to ensure public beach access despite growth in luxury resorts, protecting coastal public spaces from privatization pressures associated with exclusive developments. This supports equitable access and helps limit overdevelopment.
The southwest coast also benefits from protected natural areas, such as near Zambujeira do Mar, which restrict intensive development to conserve pristine beaches and biodiversity, supporting traditional lifestyles and environmentally conscious tourism focused on sustainability, organic farming, and artistic pursuits.
In urban planning, the focus is on encouraging sustainable living models, integrating environmental conservation, and upgrading digital infrastructure to facilitate remote work and support local economies without mass-tourism pressures, fostering resilience against global environmental and social changes.
In summary, addressing sustainability on Portugal’s southwest coast involves integrated approaches combining sustainable tourism development, protection of coastal ecosystems, maintaining public beach access, supporting local communities’ economic diversification, and applying careful urban planning to harmonize luxury development with conservation goals.
- The southwest coast of Portugal, with its concerns over sustainable development due to environmental degradation caused by overdevelopment, is undertaking a study on the sustainable limits of golf development.
- The Portuguese government is promoting sustainable, low-carbon, experience-based tourism linked to maritime heritage and environmental stewardship, as a means to address the issues of overdevelopment and environmental degradation.
- In Comporta, the Portuguese government encourages architectural harmony and low-impact eco-developments to maintain the region’s agricultural character and natural landscape, supporting traditional lifestyles and environmentally conscious tourism.
- The government is addressing skills gaps in digital communication, sustainability, and business planning for coastal communities, as part of the EU-backed FISATUR project that fosters diversification of maritime-fisheries jobs towards sustainable tourism.
