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18 October 2026

Good morning. Autumn is settling in across Portugal, with pumpkins, chestnuts and coastal plants in season, a busy November of environment forums ahead, and plenty of small, good things close to home.

Nature and biodiversity

Sagres schoolchildren meet the camarinha plant and learn how invasive species threaten it

Pupils aged six to eight from Sagres primary school visited the Fortaleza de Sagres on 7 October to learn about the camarinha (Corema album) and the danger invasive species pose to coastal flora. The visit marked National Castles Day and was run with the Emc2 project, coordinated by researcher Alexandra Viegas Abreu Lima. For many children it was their first encounter with the plant, which is native only to Portugal and Spain and bears small edible white fruit. Emc2 plans further visits in the Algarve, elsewhere on the mainland coast and on some Azorean islands.

AlgarveEcosystems & BiodiversityRead more at Barlavento ↗

GNR officers free snake caught in protective netting in Ponte de Lima

Officers from the GNR's Ponte de Lima territorial post rescued a snake that had become trapped in a protective net. The Viana do Castelo territorial command announced the rescue on Saturday and shared photographs of the operation. According to the command, the animal was freed safely and returned to its natural habitat. The force used the episode to stress that protecting wildlife helps keep nature in balance.

NorteEcosystems & BiodiversityRead more at O Minho ↗

Portugal heads to Armenia's COP17 pushing nature funding and delivery of existing biodiversity pledges

Portugal will attend the UN biodiversity conference, COP17, opening in Yerevan on 19 October, arguing that existing commitments must be delivered rather than new targets set. Lisbon backs stronger funding, including nature credits to draw in private investment, and wants faster action on the EU Nature Restoration Regulation. At home, it was the third EU member state to submit a draft national restoration plan, is finalising its 61 Natura 2000 special areas of conservation, and has created a marine reserve of about 173,000 square kilometres, lifting protected national waters to roughly 25%. New river and urban restoration programmes, plus pollinator funding, support the case.

Ecosystems & BiodiversityMore on this story →

Paredes de Coura mayor presents rural green infrastructure model at national landscape architects' meeting

Tiago Cunha, mayor of Paredes de Coura, was the only local authority leader invited to speak at the national landscape architects' meeting in Tomar, held as the Portuguese association marks its 50th anniversary. He argued that green infrastructure is as relevant in the countryside as in cities, taking the form of native woodland, watercourses, peat bogs, meadows, traditional irrigation and grazing land. He cited the municipality's 2015 landscape plan, river restoration and wetland management, and urged long-term planning that links conservation with farming and forestry.

NorteEcosystems & BiodiversityRead more at Alto Minho ↗

Algarve forest sector weighs stone pine resin as extra income for landowners

Tapping resin from stone pine could give Algarve forest owners a supplementary income, provided stands are properly managed and a new tapping technique is regulated. That was one conclusion of a workshop held in Marmelete on 8 October by forest owners' association ASPAFLOBAL and RESIPINUS, with 16 participants. The region has over 42,000 hectares of stone pine, planted mostly in the 1990s, yielding little or no pine nuts. Portugal imports almost 90% of the resin its industry needs. The organisers also link active management to lower rural fire risk and plan similar events elsewhere.

AlgarveEcosystems & BiodiversityRead more at Barlavento ↗

Portugal launches pilot paying hunters per wild boar culled above average

Portugal has set aside €500,000 for a pilot scheme to bring down its wild boar numbers. The programme covers 15 districts across mainland Portugal and pays up to €70 for each animal culled above historical averages, rather than for every animal taken.

Ecosystems & BiodiversityRead more at The Portugal News ↗

Oeste needs a measurable territorial ESG framework to cope with coastal and farming risks

A geologist and environmental auditor who has lived in Caldas da Rainha for forty years says the Oeste region is responding to erosion, flooding, siltation of the Óbidos Lagoon and drought with symbolic gestures rather than measured results. She proposes a territorial ESG framework spanning all the region's councils, covering watershed management, regenerative farming, a ban on building on cliffs and dunes, and independent geological risk audits for property. Her scorecard of indicators includes soil organic matter of at least 3%, lagoon water quality, aquifer recharge balance, joint binding decisions by municipalities and public publication of site-level risk scores.

CentroFood & AgricultureRead more at Portugal Resident ↗

Craft, materials and heritage

Algarve reed, oyster shell, clay and rammed earth turned into building and design products

Products made from Algarve reed, oyster shell, clay and rammed earth will be presented on 22 October at the CCDR Algarve auditorium in Faro, between 14:30 and 18:00. The session will show results from creative residencies in which craftspeople, companies, designers, architects and researchers tested new uses for the materials. It includes an exhibition of pieces and a round table on getting them to market, covering commercial viability, public procurement and waste as a raw material. Entry is free, with 90 places, and registration closes on 19 October. The work is part of a programme co-funded by Algarve 2030.

AlgarveConstruction & HousingMore on this story →

Caramulo dry-stone building craft joins national intangible heritage inventory

The art of dry-stone construction practised in the Serra do Caramulo has been entered in Portugal's National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The craft, which builds walls and structures from stone without mortar, is also placed under urgent safeguarding measures.

CentroConstruction & HousingRead more at The Portugal News ↗

Archaeologists to lead walk on medieval diet in Cacela Velha

A guided walk on Sunday 25 October, starting at 9.30am in Cacela Velha, will show what excavated remains reveal about how medieval communities ate. Part of the "Passos Contados" landscape-interpretation walks, it is led by University of Algarve archaeologists Maria João Valente and Hugo Oliveira, with student Cristina Santos. Bones, shells and seeds point to a varied diet of sheep, goats, poultry, game, fish and shellfish from the Ria Formosa, plus plant foods. Places are limited and booking is required through the Cacela heritage research and information centre.

AlgarveEducation & Eco-tourismRead more at Jornal do Algarve ↗

University of Algarve hosts national student meeting on rural heritage in November

The University of Algarve will host the third National Meeting of Heritage Students from 5 to 7 November at its Penha campus in Faro, under the theme of rural heritage. Students from the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences organise it, bringing together students, researchers and professionals, including Spanish students working on cross-border rural heritage. Sessions cover rural life in art, community management of heritage, sustainable cultural landscapes and traditional knowledge. The final day includes a guided visit to an exhibition on 6,000 years of Quarteira's history, supported by Loulé council.

AlgarveEducation & Eco-tourismMore on this story →

Film on two feuding Devon farmers wins top prize at Seia's CineEco festival

James Dawson's documentary "Derek vs Derek" took the Grand Environment Prize at the 32nd CineEco festival, held in Seia from 9 to 17 October. It follows two neighbouring British farmers with opposing views on land use: a dairy producer and a former cattle breeder turning his land into a nature refuge in Devon. The festival drew 410 submissions, screened more than 100 films from 34 countries and attracted over 3,000 viewers, plus 1,120 local pupils. Bárbara Paz's film on the 2024 Rio Grande do Sul floods won the Camacho Costa prize. The 33rd edition is set for 8 to 16 October 2027.

CentroEducation & Eco-tourismMore on this story →

Water and resources

Algarve's desalination plant and Guadiana intake priced at €305 million

Two water-supply projects for the Algarve carry a combined cost of €305 million: a desalination plant in Albufeira at €116.9 million and an intake at Pomarão on the Guadiana at €188.7 million. The Guadiana water would be piped to the Odeleite dam and supply about 16 million cubic metres a year. The Albufeira plant, already under construction, is due to start in early 2029 with the same initial output, against current public-supply needs of about 75 million cubic metres. Both have applied for EU-backed funding. Municipalities are also investing about €120 million to cut network losses from 20% to 15% by 2030.

AlgarveEnergy, Water & MobilityMore on this story →

Seven Viseu-district councils vote to join Águas do Douro e Paiva water system

Seven municipalities in the Viseu district have approved joining the water supply system run by Águas do Douro e Paiva: Viseu, Mangualde, Nelas, Penalva do Castelo, Sátão, São Pedro do Sul and Vouzela. The company would then have 27 shareholder municipalities, and its area would grow from 2,715 to 4,446 square kilometres. The plan includes a new treatment plant at Fagilde, a dam on the Dão river, new pipelines and a link between the Lever and Fagilde systems, so water from different sources can be shifted during shortages. Integration will be gradual, following the works. The councils' decisions now go to the Ministry of Environment and Energy for the legal and contractual steps.

CentroEnergy, Water & MobilityRead more at Ambiente Online ↗

Organic farming newsletter spotlights water and greenhouse investment planned for Corvo island

AGROBIO, the Portuguese organic farming association, has published the 17th issue of its newsletter INFOBIO. The lead item is a planned investment on the island of Corvo in the Azores: a water reservoir, two vegetable greenhouses and an organic farming demonstration field. The project falls under LIFE IP AGRILOOP and is meant to strengthen local production, food self-sufficiency and the sustainable use of resources.

AzoresFood & AgricultureMore on this story →

Water sector conference to debate private investment and public procurement in Lisbon

The 21st Expo Conferência da Água takes place on 19 and 20 November at the LNEC Congress Centre in Lisbon, with panels on the future of Portugal's water market and on public tenders. INDAQUA's CEO argues that tariffs should reflect real costs and that private capital is needed to renew infrastructure under the "Água que Une" plan. A Cuatrecasas partner says awarding contracts on lowest price tends to produce overruns, disputes and higher costs, and calls for more weight on quality and for contracting bodies with stronger technical capacity.

LisbonEnergy, Water & MobilityMore on this story →

Lisbon water-sector conference sets agenda on hydro concessions, single tariff and resilience

The 21st Expo Conferência da Água takes place on 19 and 20 November at the LNEC congress centre in Lisbon, with the full programme now published. Panels will examine progress on the "Água que Une" strategy, new hydroelectric concessions including the Cabril dam, and resilience after the early-2026 storms. They also cover rollout of the new water tariff regulation, a proposed single wholesale tariff, sludge management costs, water-loss reduction and the private sector's role. It is the opening event of Semana de Ambiente 2026, followed by energy and waste forums.

LisbonEnergy, Water & MobilityMore on this story →

Energy, transport and waste

Madeira's airport bus to Funchal now runs on fully electric vehicles

Madeira's bus company CAM has put new fully electric Karsan buses into service on the Aerobus line linking the island's airport with Funchal, starting this October. Eight electric buses were bought in total: five serve the airport route, while the other three will run public transport on Porto Santo. Once all are operating, they are expected to cut CO2 emissions by more than 850 tonnes a year. The fleet, along with charging infrastructure and transformer stations, cost around €5.2 million, of which €2.7 million came from the Recovery and Resilience Plan through its REPowerEU strand.

MadeiraEnergy, Water & MobilityRead more at Funchal Notícias ↗

Madeira's regional president to inspect three new €14m cranes at Caniçal port

Three new Liebherr LHM 420 cranes, which reached Madeira in mid-September, have been installed at the Caniçal cargo port. Regional government president Miguel Albuquerque will visit the site on Monday 19 October at 10.30 to see the €14 million private investment by the operator OPM. The cranes can run almost entirely on electricity. They are expected to speed up loading and unloading, lifting the average from 11.36 to 20 movements per hour and shortening waiting times. They follow the recent purchase of four Kalmar horizontal-handling machines, worth €1.8 million.

MadeiraEnergy, Water & MobilityRead more at Funchal Notícias ↗

Floene and Mota-Engil chiefs urge action on renewable gases at Lisbon energy forum

The 14th Fórum Energia takes place on 23 and 24 November at the LNEC Congress Centre in Lisbon, with decarbonising the gas network and the biomethane market among its main themes. Floene's CEO, Gabriel Sousa, says renewable gases are central to Portugal's 2030 targets and that projects now need urgency and concrete solutions. Mota-Engil Ambiente e Energia's CEO, Hugo Pereira, notes that his company's biomethane plants have started operating this year. The biomethane action plan aims for the gas to replace 9.1% of natural gas consumption by 2030, and the panels will discuss licensing, regulation, new production incentives and shared grid-connection costs.

LisbonEnergy, Water & MobilityMore on this story →

14th Energy Forum to debate renewables opposition, grid connections and low-voltage tender

The 14th Energy Forum takes place on 23 and 24 November at the National Civil Engineering Laboratory's congress centre in Lisbon, as part of Environment Week 2026. Engineer Mário Paulo, a regular attendee, singles out three debates: why opposition to new renewable projects is growing and how to ease it, how to manage the grid as connection requests surge, including from data centres, and what to expect from the low-voltage concession tender pending since 2017. Registrations carry a 10% early discount.

LisbonEnergy, Water & MobilityRead more at Ambiente Online ↗

Waste Forum turns 20 with debates on landfill, bio-waste and energy recovery

The 20th Fórum Resíduos takes place on 25 and 26 November as part of Environment Week 2026. João Levy, president of Ecoserviços, says landfill still receives over 51% of waste and that organic and energy recovery are complementary treatments, not rivals. Sessions cover optimising mechanical-biological treatment plants, new energy-recovery projects, and whether separate bio-waste collection is on the right track given its modest results. A strategic debate on contradictions in municipal waste management, including relations between upstream and downstream operators, opens the second day.

LisbonProducts, Consumption & CircularMore on this story →

Regulated electricity prices set to rise 1.5% in January 2027

Portugal's energy regulator ERSE has proposed a 1.5% increase in regulated-market electricity from January 2027, compared with December. For households this means between 54 cents and €1.28 more a month, taxes included, depending on consumption. Across 2027 the average price would rise 3.7%, building on an October 2026 increase of about 2.7%. Around 780,000 customers were on the regulated market in June. The regulator also expects the electricity sector's tariff debt to fall to €552 million in 2027. The Tariff Council must give its opinion by 15 November, and final prices are due by 15 December.

Energy, Water & MobilityMore on this story →

Car trade is being reshaped by digital sales, electrification and Chinese competition

The car industry is changing its business model, not just its technology. Buyers now research, compare prices and simulate finance online before meeting a salesperson, so dealers must link web, stock, finance and after-sales. The shift to electric cars depends on purchase price, charging access, real range and resale value, and households without home parking face a very different reality. Chinese carmakers are entering Europe quickly, raising questions of fair competition and jobs. A reliable used-electric market, with clear battery-health information, is seen as key to wider adoption.

Energy, Water & MobilityRead more at Observador ↗

Needs attention

Alentejo mayor calls for mandatory overhaul of olive-pomace plants, with closure for laggards

The mayor of Ferreira do Alentejo, Luís Pita Ameixa, told a parliamentary hearing on alleged pollution by the AZPO olive-oil plant that the government should set up a conversion programme for olive-pomace factories, with deadlines and possible closure for those that fail to comply. He cited the late-1990s rules that forced oil mills to change how they handled liquid waste. He also wants environmental impact assessments for the plants and responsibility shared along the whole olive-oil chain. The council says AZPO faces an administrative offence case over solvent use, not emissions. Composting the pomace as fertiliser is being tested, though he doubts it can absorb the volumes.

AlentejoFood & AgricultureMore on this story →

Lisbon mayor asks Brussels to rethink Volta deposit scheme over drug-user concerns

Lisbon mayor Carlos Moedas asked the European Commission to review Portugal's Volta deposit-return scheme, arguing the 10-cent refund per container worsens social problems in the capital. He cited reports of people leaving drug-treatment programmes to collect packaging and spend the money on drugs. Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall promised a technical meeting involving the Commission, the Portuguese government and the city. Matosinhos mayor Luísa Salgueiro, also in Brussels, said she had seen no change in behaviour among at-risk groups in her municipality. The scheme has operated since 10 April.

LisbonProducts, Consumption & CircularMore on this story →

Banco de Portugal study: Algarve's rigid housing supply drives up prices and rents

A Banco de Portugal journal essay finds that housing demand in the Algarve, driven by tourism, foreign buyers and second homes, meets a supply that adjusts poorly, so prices and rents rise most there. Covering 2017 to 2024, it estimates that where supply does not respond at all, a 1% rise in demand lifts prices by about 0.69% and rents by 0.37%. The author argues that demand-side policies alone will not fix affordability and that building capacity must grow. He also cautions that gaps in rental data limit the findings.

AlgarveConstruction & HousingRead more at Barlavento ↗

CDS wants Câmara de Lobos building rules rewritten to ease housing crisis

The CDS says the revision of Câmara de Lobos' building and urbanisation regulation, unchanged since 2011, should go beyond administrative streamlining and help tackle the housing shortage. Local party leader Lídio Aguiar wants quicker, clearer, less bureaucratic procedures for small works and for legalising existing buildings, so families can renovate or extend relatives' homes and stay in the municipality. He stresses safety rules would stay, with buildings in risk areas such as beside streams excluded. The party argues legalisation would give owners legal certainty, ease inheritance and widen the municipal property-tax base. It also asks the council to provide more technical guidance to residents.

MadeiraConstruction & HousingRead more at JM Madeira ↗

Madeira's CDS-PP youth wing and economists link low pay to housing access

The youth wing of CDS-PP Madeira met the Ordem dos Economistas as part of its "Construir Futuro" conference series on housing, family and birth rates. They discussed how the region's heavy reliance on tourism and low-value-added activities holds back wages and family finances. Proposed housing measures included land banks, reuse of existing buildings, splitting large homes into independent units and planned social housing, alongside cutting bureaucracy. The talks also covered the state's role, taxation and support for private investment. The group's representative argued that housing cannot be tackled by looking at house prices alone, but requires wages that keep pace with the cost of living.

MadeiraConstruction & HousingRead more at JM Madeira ↗

Salvaterra de Magos PSD sets out 2027 budget priorities

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) in Salvaterra de Magos has put forward a set of proposals for the municipality's 2027 budget. They include a business zone close to the A13 motorway, more daycare places and a municipal programme to improve energy efficiency.

LisbonEnergy, Water & MobilityRead more at The Portugal News ↗

Out and about this autumn

Third Alentejo Walking Festival offers nearly 50 free guided routes at the end of October

Almost 50 organised walks will take place across the Alentejo on 31 October and 1 November, forming the core of the third Alentejo Walking Festival. The regional tourism authority runs it with the regional promotion agency and local councils. Sign-up is free but compulsory, open until 5.30pm on 28 October. Many routes combine interpretation with cultural activities. The festival also has a trade side: a conference on managing walking routes in Gavião on 29 October, a workshop for Portuguese tour operators in Nisa the next day, and visits for national operators and, from 5 to 8 November, international media.

AlentejoEducation & Eco-tourismMore on this story →

Sagres to host new three-day surf festival this autumn

Algarve Surf Clube is launching Sagres Sessions, a three-day festival in Sagres running from 30 October to 1 November. It combines an inter-club surf contest, the Algarve Cup, with adaptive surfing sessions, beach clean-ups, a theatre piece on surfing history, an art exhibition, yoga, free concerts and a local market. The club wants to bring major events back to the region and, with Vila do Bispo Council and Turismo do Algarve, grow the festival into an international fixture. Most activities are free, though several require advance registration; non-members pay €15 to enter the Algarve Cup.

AlgarveEducation & Eco-tourismRead more at Portugal Resident ↗

Aldeias do Xisto host autumn food festivals featuring chestnuts, mushrooms and cured meats

The Aldeias do Xisto region has lined up a series of autumn events celebrating local gastronomy and traditional produce, running in different towns and villages until November. Chestnuts, honey, mushrooms, cured meats and convent sweets are among the products on show. Two festivals feature in the programme: Sabores de Outono in Lousã, from 16 to 25 October, and a festival dedicated to achigã, a freshwater fish, in Vila de Rei.

CentroFood & AgricultureMore on this story →

Carrapichana hosts Serra da Estrela lamb festival on 24–25 October with José Malhoa

The Serra da Estrela PDO Lamb Festival returns to Carrapichana, in the municipality of Celorico da Beira, on 24 and 25 October. The programme combines food, music, tradition and activities tied to the region's pastoral culture, with singer José Malhoa as the headline act. The event is organised by Celorico da Beira municipal council together with the Carrapichana parish council, Estrelacoop and Ancose.

CentroFood & AgricultureRead more at Notícias de Coimbra ↗

Cacela heritage centre dedicates its next village almanac event to pumpkins

The Cacela Heritage Research and Information Centre (CIIPC) is holding another edition of its "Almanaque da Aldeia" series on 20 October at midday, this time devoted to the pumpkin. It takes place at the centre's premises in the former Santa Rita primary school and is open to the local community and the wider public. Places are limited to those who register in advance, by phone on 281 952 600 or by email at ciipcacela@gmail.com.

AlgarveFood & AgricultureRead more at Jornal do Algarve ↗

Faro motorcycle club holds fifth Pink October breast cancer awareness day

The Pink Reders Moto Clube is holding its fifth Pink October gathering on 17 October from 3pm at Sítio das Virtudes (Parque Ribeirinho) in Faro, with the Algarve branch of the Portuguese Oncology Association (APO) as partner. The aim is to raise awareness of prevention and early diagnosis of breast cancer, which still causes thousands of deaths in Portugal each year. The event stresses that the disease is not exclusive to women, although they make up the vast majority of cases. Alongside the awareness activities there will be live music, with performances announced by Filipe Romão, Rita Fox Band and Super Pop Music Band, plus food and drink.

AlgarveHealth & WellbeingRead more at Jornal do Algarve ↗

Small wonders close to home

Schools in Leiria district collect over 25 tonnes of electrical and electronic waste

Schools in the district collected more than 25 tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment, batteries and accumulators during the last school year, all sent for proper treatment. The collection formed part of the 18th Geração Depositrão campaign, in which 32 local schools took part. Centro Escolar de Alcobaça gathered over five tonnes, ranking 13th nationally. Nationwide, 473 schools and more than 345,000 pupils contributed about 470 tonnes. The scheme is run by waste-management body ERP Portugal with the Blue Flag environmental education association.

CentroProducts, Consumption & CircularMore on this story →

Eleven Anadia schools honoured at national environmental education awards in Sintra

Eleven educational establishments in the municipality of Anadia were recognised for environmental merit at an awards ceremony held at Air Base No. 1 in Sintra. The event was organised by the Associação Bandeira Azul de Ambiente e Educação (ABAAE). The honoured institutions include primary school centres in Arcos, Avelãs, Sangalhos and Tamengos, the Colégio Nossa Senhora da Conceição, the Anadia Basic and Secondary School, and the schools of Vilarinho do Bairro, Moita and Chãozinho, together with the Amoreira da Gândara kindergarten and the Vocational School of Viticulture and Oenology.

CentroEducation & Eco-tourismRead more at Diário de Aveiro ↗

Thirty Algarve teenagers join free leadership training and mentoring programme for third year

Thirty young people aged 14 to 19 from Albufeira, Loulé, Lagoa and Silves have started the third edition of Líderes do Futuro, a free programme run by the Prime Skills association with the Jack Petchey Foundation. Over one school year they take part in an initial selection day, an intensive training weekend, five further days of training, individual mentoring and volunteering projects. It follows the foundation's Achievers' Network model, now in its twelfth year in the United Kingdom. Former participants joined the launch to help build a network of young people. Applications for the 2027/28 edition are already open.

AlgarveCommunity & Social InnovationRead more at Barlavento ↗

Siblings turn Olhão family house into guesthouse that grew through the pandemic

Cristina and Alexandre Palma opened Casa Grande in Olhão's historic centre in late summer 2019, starting with two rooms. The pandemic hit within a year and quitting crossed their minds, but they carried on. Both keep other jobs, in the arts and in technology, and share the running of the guesthouse, with their mother closely involved. They say it has paid off more in family closeness than in extra income. Next on their list is improving the rooftop terrace, which looks over Olhão's old town, and they still dine with guests when they can.

AlgarveCommunity & Social InnovationRead more at Postal ↗

Algarve animal protection association president reflects on a defining question

Jenny Clarke, president of the Association for Protection of Animals Algarve (APAA), has had reason to reflect on Hamlet's famous question of whether to be or not to be. Only the opening lines of the piece are available, so little more can be said about the circumstances behind her reflection.

AlgarveEcosystems & BiodiversityRead more at The Portugal News ↗
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