Over the last few years, invasive brown Asian seaweed has begun to invade the western Algarve coast. The invasive species (Rugulopterix okamurae), originating from Korea and Japan, likely arrived via transport on the hull of a ship. This has only become a big problem over the past few years, as this introduced seaweed has spread rapidly. When we visiting in 2019, we didn’t notice any big issues, and the famous Lagos and Algarve beaches (e.g. Praia Dona Ana) we clean and seaweed free. However, we heard reports in the lead up to our visit in 2024 that the seaweed had become more of a prevalent issue. So, is the seaweed problem bad in Lagos Algarve? Sadly, yes. In 2024 the seaweed had covered large portions of the once picturesque cove beaches, and the iconic Praia do Camilo has no visible sand underneath the seaweed. Apart from being aesthetically damaging, this invasive species affects wildlife by reducing oxygen in the water. Authorities are particularly worried on the impact to the ecosystem and tourism, and a quick search of news articles show varies attempts to try and combat it, but many of the strategies are just ‘cleaning the beaches’ regularly, which is a band-aid not a fix.
So should you change your plans when visiting Lagos (Portugal) due to the seaweed? Well.. possibly. We urge you to have realistic expectations. The once postcard beaches definitely won’t be as picturesque, but not all beaches on the Algarve are affected. Even in Lagos, the beach on the east of the town (10-15 minute walk), Meia Praia was beautiful and seaweed free. Additionally, beaches further east seem to be less affected, with popular tourist destination Albufeira also seaweed free. While we think the Lagos town is one of the best along the Algarve to visit for seaside charm and a little more authenticity than ‘party towns’, it is important to be realistic with your expectations and sadly your beach photos might not look like what you’ve seen online from 5-10 years ago. Here’s hoping that a solution can be found in the future.
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