The beach closest to the center of Lisbon is to be renovated. Oeiras Câmara wants to improve the beach's landscaping and install fitness and sports equipment. "We're going to improve all the conditions for staying at Praia de Algés, but we're not going to improve the bathing conditions just yet. That's a medium-term objective," said the Councillor for Municipal Works, Joana Baptista.
Oeiras City Council wants to transform the public space around Algés Beach and turn it into a new attraction for the municipalityIt is connected to the future urban park of Passeio Marítimo de Algés and the transport interface. "We're going to improve the beach's landscaping. We're going to put in fitness and sports equipment"said the Municipal Works Councillor, Joana Baptista, on the sidelines of the signing of a collaboration protocol between the municipality and the Port of Lisbon.
"So we're going to improve all the conditions for staying at Praia de Algés, but we're not going to improve the bathing conditions just yet. That's a medium-term objective that the municipality has, which is to, in addition to the four official beaches that we already have, give this beach back to the population and to Algés as well."she added.
"For now, the beach isn't good enough for swimming"reinforced Joana Baptista. "It is being monitored by the Municipality, by the Intermunicipal Services [of Water and Sanitation of Oeiras and Amadora] and we are going to create conditions, together with the Administration of the Port of Lisbon, together with the Municipality of Lisbon, in order to reinforce the infrastructure. Because it's not just the beach, it's all the infrastructure, namely the Algés river, which runs through Lisbon but has a big influence on Algés beach“ - as mentioned in another article.
Praia de Algés is the closest beach to the center of Lisbon; it is about 230 meters long and has a narrow sandy beach. It's right next to the Algés train station and bus station, so it has a privileged location. With no surveillance and water suitable for bathing, it is a beach that nevertheless attracts many holidaymakers, as well as people throughout the year, who come here to relax at the end of the day, read a book and watch the sun go down.
Until the mid-1960s, before the construction of what is now known as the 25 de Abril Bridge, Algés Beach was one of the most popular among Lisbon residents. At the time, it had a long stretch of sand that went all the way to Cruz Quebrada and was crossed by the Algés stream. The construction of the bridge led locals to find more distant beaches, such as those on the Costa da Caparica.
Parking regulation
The Algés Beach renovation project, which responds to a winning proposal from the 2019/20 edition of the Oeiras Participatory Budgetis still being finalized and It also involves a reorganization of parking and pricing by Parques Tejo.the municipal mobility company. The aim is to promote, on the one hand, a rationalization of parking space and, on the other hand, a balance between long-term parking - for those who work in the area or want to leave their car and take public transport - and rotating/short-term parking - for those who want to take advantage of the shops and restaurants in downtown Algés.
Parking charges are already a reality in downtown Algés, which has pushed the pressure to the coastal area, on the other side of the train line. Parques Tejo's intention to move forward with regulation in this area too means that, in practice, Algés will have all the parking priced and regulated, which will have implications for the neighboring parish of Belém, in Lisbon, which has rejected EMEL's entry. Regulating car parking is essential in high-pressure areas, where it is necessary to safeguard an organized public space, exclusive pockets for residents and also rotating parking for visitors.
Algés has become more central in the municipality of Oeiras and on the doorstep of Lisbon. It hosts a major music festival in the summer and other major open-air shows. It has attracted important institutions such as the Champalimaund Foundation and will host the major Ocean Campus project, linking innovation and the blue economy. It has a promenade where many people like to go jogging at the end of the day or for a weekend stroll.
Algés is also the largest public transport interface in the western part of the North Bank. It also offers a wide range of shops and restaurants. The renovation of Algés Beach, together with the redevelopment of the promenade and the extension of the embankment to Cruz Quebrada, should help to make Algés even more attractive. It's worth remembering that just last year the Oeiras City Council unveiled an ambitious plan to transform the entire Avenida dos Bombeiros Voluntários axis - a project called "Portas de Algés".
