In the municipality of Aljezur, there are more than a dozen shops linked to surfing and bodyboarding, as well as surfing schools. There are also hostels and other accommodation units geared towards surfers. Surfing is an activity that attracts thousands of people from all over Europe – and beyond – to the Costa Vicentina, throughout the year.
For all these reasons, the Municipality of Aljezur wants a surfing strategy to be defined, which should even have a national scope. In this sense, the municipality has already approved a proposal, which it sent to the Ministry of the Environment, to the Intermunicipal Community of the Algarve (AMAL), to the Captaincies and to other Municipal Councils related to the theme, in the Algarve, but also in the North and in the Center of the country.
«There is a huge disarticulation in the way surfing is treated in the North, Center or South of the country. What we want is not for a Bible to be created, but for there to be common rules and, above all, a real strategy for surfing», stressed José Amarelinho, mayor of Aljezur, in statements to Sul Informação.
«Surf is a very important product for us here in Costa Vicentina. But a common thread is missing. There are several actors and various ways to develop the activity, but we are not all working for the same side».
The Algarve mayor considers that, at national level, “strategies have been implemented in a stray way. There was a project to create several High Performance Surfing Centers along the coast, but only the one in Peniche ended up being created. In the Algarve, there were even two centres, one in Praia do Amado (Aljezur) and the other in the municipality of Vila do Bispo. But they won't move forward, for lack of money».
Amarelinho also regrets the fact that the authorities and official entities “pull each one to their own side”: “each Captaincy has its own way of approaching the issue, while the Nature Conservation Institute and the Portuguese Environment Agency have responsibilities, but little do. ICN and AP have to come to play to establish, with the Municipal Councils, rules for this activity, which has impacts on the coast and which, in the case of Aljezur, even takes place in a Natural Park area. They cannot be in a posture of simply prohibiting or not doing anything».
Polis have projects but are at an impasse
A hope for things to move forward had arisen with the Polis Litoral Costa Sudoeste, but this program has been at an impasse. José Amarelinho stresses that this Polis has already defined what needs to be done and the support structures to be created. "Now it is necessary to move from projects to implementation on the ground, it is now necessary to launch tenders by the APA".
“Every year there are thousands of surfers who visit our beaches – Amado, Odeceixe, Amoreira, Arrifana – just because of the fame of their surf hot spots. They are surfers who come from all over the country, from all over Europe and even abroad. These are people who come throughout the year, because surfing is not a seasonal activity. There were still days the weather was very gray, but the sea was great for surfing and there were more than 50 surfers in the sea, in Arrifana. For surfing the weather was fantastic».
“But when these hundreds, thousands of surfers arrive here, it is necessary that they find appropriate structures and with a unique language, even to clean the face of the beaches, which sometimes seem more like pure chaos. The surf schools themselves and the associations that are on these beaches and that have been working there for years are interested in doing these projects».
On the issue of rules, Amarelinho gives the example of Arrifana beach, which is used by several surf schools and which had three surf corridors, but is also visited by families who just want to bathe. Therefore, «there was a need to reconcile, to articulate. In the last bathing season only two surf runners worked and things went well. There must be rules, but these rules must also be defined together with surf schools and associations, who know the terrain and the market».
A question that arises whenever we talk about surfing is that of camping and wild caravanning along the beaches, namely near Praia do Amado, where, on certain days, it seems that a multitude of nomads landed there.
“The Polis foresees the creation of support campsites. But the issue has to be treated carefully: an exclusive location for this type of equipment cannot be indicated, because, perhaps, the land that the Polis indicates is private and the owner may not want to build a campsite there. or else he asks for a lot of money, and everything goes back to a standstill. What should be done is to invite potential investors to present their projects for motorhome and camping, and then the Polis will have to evaluate these projects, according to the contingencies of land use planning».
In any case, underlines the mayor of Aljezur, “no camping or motorhome park infrastructure should be attached to the beach, inside the beach. There are good locations closer to the villages, a little further inland».
In Amado, for example, José Amarelinho defends that the future park should be built “next to the urban agglomeration. So the tents are there. During the day, the surfers' cars are parked in the park next to the beach, but at night they retire to the structure created to welcome them, with all the conditions. And with that they bring more movement to the village's shops and restaurants».
Surfing is important to the local economy
What is certain is that, he argues, “it is necessary that something be done and that private projects emerge!”. "These structures are going to be very important to regulate being close to the beaches and respecting everyone." And also to create some jobs.
Yes, because, for the Municipality of Aljezur, surfing is already seen as an important economic activity in its municipality. “There are more than a dozen companies based here, created by natives and created in Aljezur. There are shops, surf schools, accommodation. This affects the economic fabric of the county, and this happens throughout the year. That's why we have to create conditions».
«For us, we are available to study, with other municipalities, with other entities, a strategy for surfing in the Algarve and Portugal. What is needed is that this is not a wildfire like what happened with the Nature Sports Charter, which, after so much discussion and some controversy, was left in cod waters».
«There are difficulties that we feel in our daily lives, the same as those experienced by schools, associations and surfers. The Ministry of Environment, which oversees the coast, should lead this process. But if you do not want to or cannot do it, then let it be said clearly, because there will certainly be someone who wants to do it», concluded the mayor of Aljezur.
The council's proposal ends precisely like this: «We have thus seen the urgency of carrying out an in-depth study of the reality of Surfing in our country, as well as the need to create a national strategy for it. The Sea and its waves do not run out, nor do they have seasons. Therefore, it is interesting to explore this product. Creating a regulation, a strategy, equipment and infrastructure, in a concrete and strong bet, in a product that is certainly an asset as a sport, as a tourist product, as an economic and financial value, for our country, for the region and for the our council».
Read here the proposal of Aljezur Chamber for a Surf Strategy
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