The proposal, available on the Participa portal, was approved by the National Maritime Authority (AMN), the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), the Lagoa City Council, in the Faro district, and the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF).

The goal is to collect public contributions to adjust the final regulation for visiting the Benagil Caves, both in terms of human carrying capacity and access conditions, the Captain of the Port of Portimão told Lusa.

"The intention is to meet the expectations of the community in general, with this procedure stemming from the Code of Administrative Procedure", highlighted Eduardo Pousadas Godinho.

The official added that the document resulted from the report of the Benagil Caves Working Group, recommending that "the entities with responsibility in the area produce the navigation instructions and promulgate them, until a decision is made by the Government".

"This is a set of management measures considered to be priorities, to be implemented this year, for access to the area, agreed upon by the four entities -- Lagoa City Council, ICNF, AMN and APA", he pointed out.

Eduardo Pousadas Godinho added that the opinions and contributions collected "will be subsequently assessed and weighed, and will serve to adjust the final document, to be published, either through a public notice or an administrative regulation".

The signatories of the proposal are unanimous in considering that it is urgent to regulate visits to the Benagil Caves this year, given the large number of visitors and the conflicts that have occurred, mainly during the summer period.

Located off the beach of Benagil, the caves are considered to be a relevant natural heritage and one of the main tourist attractions in the Algarve, which, during the summer period, has attracted the interest of an increasing number of visitors, mainly by sea.

The proposal for instructions aims to promote the regulated and rational use of the coastal strip, from the perspective of coexistence of uses and activities and the measures necessary to safeguard the environment, prevent risks and guarantee the safety of users.

Among the measures are the prohibition of disembarking or using the beach for bathing, inside the cave, and the prohibition of access to the interior of the caves by visitors swimming or using auxiliary flotation devices.

The document applies to access, by sea and through bathing and non-bathing beaches, to the general public, maritime-tourist operators, recreational vessels and navigation in general, which approach within 500 metres of the coast in the area of the Benagil caves, delimited between Vale do Lapa beach and Albandeira beach, located in the Municipality of Lagoa.

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