Swim only between the red-and-yellow striped flags and only when the flag is green. Outside the bathing season there are usually no lifeguards at all. Keep away from the foot of the cliffs and from cliff edges: rock falls happen without warning, and much of the Algarve coast is cliff.
The Algarve’s cliffs are the reason many people come here, and they are also its main hazard. The rules are simple, but they differ from what many visitors are used to at home, so they are worth five minutes before your first beach day.
Beach flags in Portugal
The same flag system is used on every supervised beach in Portugal. The flag flies at the lifeguard post.
| Flag | What it means |
|---|---|
| Green | Swimming allowed. |
| Yellow | You may go into the water, but do not swim. Stay where you can stand. |
| Red | Do not go into the water. |
| Black and white chequered | The lifeguard post is temporarily unattended. |
| Red and yellow striped (a pair) | The safest area for swimming, for example away from rip currents. Swim between them. |
The striped flags were introduced in 2018 and can move during the day as the tide changes. If you cannot see them, ask the lifeguard where it is safest to swim.
When lifeguards are on duty
Lifeguards work only during the official bathing season, which each municipality sets every year. In Lagoa, home to Benagil, Marinha and Carvoeiro, the 2026 season on the Blue Flag beaches ran from 1 June to 30 September. Other municipalities use similar but not identical dates.
Outside the season, from October to May, most beaches have no lifeguard, even on warm, busy days. The Atlantic can be calm one hour and rough the next, especially on the west coast, so be cautious in the water out of season.
Why Algarve cliffs fall
Much of the coast between Sagres and Vilamoura is made of limestone and soft sandstone. The sea undercuts the base, rain seeps through cracks, and blocks break away. This happens all year, but most often after storms and heavy rain in autumn and winter. Collapses can happen on a calm, sunny day without any warning.
Beaches where a large part of the sand lies in the danger zone are officially classed as limited-use beaches (praias de uso limitado). At high tide, the water pushes everybody towards the cliff, and most of the remaining sand falls within the risk area. Praia do Carvalho and Praia de Benagil in Lagoa are examples. Portugal’s environment agency lists 75 beaches with a risk of cliff collapse, and all of them are in the Algarve, most in Albufeira and Lagoa.
Accidents that changed the rules
- 21 August 2009, Praia Maria Luísa (Albufeira). A large block of rock about 10 metres high broke off and fell onto the beach. Five people died, four of them from one family, and two more were seriously injured. It remains the worst cliff accident on record in Portugal, and it led to stricter rules on marking risk zones.
- 7 August 2016, Praia Maria Luísa again. Another collapse at the same beach, around lunchtime on a summer Sunday, injured several people.
- 9 November 2025, Praia da Marinha. A 22-year-old visitor fell from the cliffs near the Benagil caves and was rescued with fractures and hypothermia. Falls from cliff edges, often while looking for a better photo, are a regular cause of rescues.
The winter of 2025 to 2026 was particularly hard on the coast: successive storms from October to early March damaged 35 Algarve beaches, and on some, the sand retreated by more than 20 metres.
How to stay safe near the cliffs
- Read the signs. Yellow and red warning signs reading Perigo or Arriba instável mark danger zones. Treat them as seriously as a red flag.
- Do not lie down under the cliff, even for shade. Choose a spot towards the water and move as the tide comes in.
- Check the tide before walking to a neighbouring cove. Many coves are cut off at high tide. See how tides change Algarve beaches.
- Stay back from the edge at the top. Cliff tops are often undercut and crumble without warning, and many paths have no railing.
- Do not climb on the cliffs, rocks or arches.
- Be extra careful after rain. Collapses are more frequent in the days after heavy rain.
Where the coast is high and where it is flat
The Algarve coast changes completely from west to east. In the west, high cliffs dominate; in the east, the coast is flat, sandy and protected by a chain of barrier islands. This matters for safety, but also for choosing a beach.
The highest and wildest cliffs, with beaches in coves and river mouths. Strong Atlantic waves.
High limestone cliffs with small coves, sea stacks and grottoes.
A long, flat sandy bay between two cliff coasts.
Golden limestone cliffs full of caves and arches, broken by the long flat beach of Armação de Pêra.
Red and ochre cliffs of soft sandstone, with long beaches below.
Low coast with dunes and long sandy beaches.
Flat barrier islands and lagoon, about 60 km long. Many beaches are reached by ferry or on foot across the lagoon.
One continuous flat sandy beach, gentle and good for children.
In practice, cliff safety matters most from the west coast to Vilamoura. East of Faro, around Olhão, Tavira and towards Spain, there are no cliffs to worry about, but the lagoon channels have strong tidal currents, so swim on the ocean side of the islands rather than in the channels.
If something goes wrong
Call 112, the European emergency number. If you are on a supervised beach, alert the lifeguard first. If someone is in trouble in the water, do not swim out yourself; throw them something that floats and call for help.
Questions people ask
Can I swim when the yellow flag is up?
You can go into the water, but you should not swim. The yellow flag means conditions call for caution, so stay where you can stand.
What does a chequered flag mean on a Portuguese beach?
The black-and-white chequered flag means the lifeguard post is temporarily unattended. There is nobody watching the water at that moment.
What do the red-and-yellow striped flags mean?
They mark the stretch of beach that lifeguards consider the safest for swimming, for example away from rip currents. Swim between them.
Is it allowed to sit under the cliffs?
Areas at risk of collapse are marked with warning signs, and on some beaches the risk zone covers most of the sand at high tide. Staying in a marked risk zone is dangerous and can lead to a fine. Keep well back from the foot of the cliff and from the edge at the top.
When are lifeguards on duty in the Algarve?
Each municipality sets its own bathing season. In Lagoa in 2026 it ran from 1 June to 30 September on the Blue Flag beaches. Outside the season, most beaches have no lifeguard.
Sources
- DECO Proteste: safety tips for the bathing season (flags and limited-use beaches)
- Jornal de Mafra: beach flags and what they mean (ISN)
- Barlavento: Lagoa raises six Blue Flags, bathing season 2026
- Visit Algarve: Praia do Carvalho (limited-use beach)
- Postal do Algarve: cliff collapse at Praia Maria Luísa, 7 August 2016
- Postal do Algarve: the 2009 Praia Maria Luísa collapse, trial coverage
- Postal do Algarve: young man falls from a cliff near the Benagil caves (9 November 2025)
- ZAP: 75 beaches in Portugal at risk of cliff collapse
- Visit Algarve: Ria Formosa Natural Park