Are the sand dunes of Meia Praia falling victim to profit? Lagos People Standing Up

Meia Praia has a special place for everyone who knows a little bit about the untouched nature of the Algarve coast. However, tensions have been quite high in Lagos lately. The giant hotel project planned to be built in the Dunas Douradas sand dunes, one of the most sensitive spots in the region, would test the patience of the local people.

The crowd gathered in front of the Lagos City Hall (Câmara Municipal de Lagos) at exactly 14:00 on Wednesday, attended the city council meeting, directly confronted the authorities and raised their voices.

"Save Meia Praia": You Can't Destroy Today with Permissions from 1988

Neighborhood residents and nature lovers came together against the planned concreting and established a strong citizens' initiative called "Save Meia Praia". The most striking point expressed by the group in the city council is the bureaucratic cunning behind the work.

It turned out that the zoning plans and permits on which the project was based dated back to 1988. With the licenses obtained with the conditions of almost 40 years ago, today's sensitive coastal ecosystem is wanted to be scooped.

Group spokespeople Becca Williams and Graça Bastos summarize the situation very clearly: No one is against the development or development of the city altogether. However, there is an objection to an understanding that disregards current environmental laws, modern scientific data and public interest. Once the dunes and coastal ecosystem are degraded, all the money in the world is not enough to restore them.

The group insists on two basic demands:

Full Transparency: All planning files on the table should be made accessible to the public without being hidden.

Current Environmental Assessment: The project should be thoroughly re-inspected, not with the dusty paperwork of 1988, but with the strict environmental legislation in force of 2026.

Alarm Bells Are Ringing for the Algarve Coast

In fact, this struggle in Lagos is not an isolated incident; It's a common concern for people all over Portugal trying to protect their coasts. The latest report published by Greenpeace Portugal reveals the gravity of the situation: If the necessary precautions are not taken and this unplanned construction continues, 40% of the Algarve beaches are in danger of being completely destroyed by 2100.

With rising sea levels and intensifying storms looming, building hotels on the coastline's most fragile dunes is tantamount to throwing away the future. The people of Lagos seem determined to protect their dunes and have no intention of letting this go.

Source: Save Meia Praia Initiative & Greenpeace Portugal

Contact: savemeiapraia@gmail.org