The first meeting of the Working Group on the conditions of access to the Benagil Caves took place this Wednesday, September 20th, at the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission, in Faro.
the working group was created by Government Order no. 8777/2023 of 30 August and aims to establish the human carrying capacity and determine the access conditions to that area of the coast of the municipality of Lagoa.
Located next to Benagil Beach, they are one of the main tourist attractions in the Algarve, namely Algar de Benagil.
«These natural caves have aroused, in recent years, the curiosity of a growing number of people, who seek them out by sea, leading to a significant increase in the number of visitors staying in that area, especially during the summer period», explains the CCDR Algarve, in a press release.
Therefore, «it is necessary to define the maximum limit of human carrying capacity in the Benagil Caves, and it is essential to regulate the respective access, given the need to protect and prevent risk situations for people's safety, especially considering the high erosion that has occurred in that area, which requires the definition of rules of use for visitors, to reinforce their safety».
According to the CCDR, the meeting allowed all those involved in the Working Group “a first sharing of opinions, getting to know the data from the various entities on the visitation of the Benagil Caves and carrying out a first approach on the work methodology with a view to purpose of the government Order».
The next meeting should take place in the second half of October.
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