Arda

16.7°C Water temp · Sep 9

Portugal Coastal 1 - Excellent 16.7°C

Satellite image of ARDA — Satellite image © Esri

Arda is a rural beach located in Viana do Castelo municipality with extensive sand and a consolidated dune system in accretion. Also known as Arda/Bico, it features a natural coastal landscape. The beach is monitored for bathing water quality throughout the official season.

Reviews

No reviews yet.

Write a review

Photos

Upload a photo

Water

Coastal water body PTCOST1 within the Lima river basin.

Location

Viana do Castelo municipality. Monitoring point coordinates: Latitude 41.77028, Longitude -8.87417.

Season

June 14 to September 14, 2025. Sampling frequency is every 3 weeks.

Water Quality

Water quality is classified according to Decreto-Lei 135/2009 (amended by Decreto-Lei 113/2012). No days of bathing prohibition or advisory occurred due to short-term pollution during the 2024 bathing season. Potential microbiological pollution sources include faecal contamination from agricultural drainage networks and a tributary creek (do Bico) that empties near the beach.

Risks

Short-term pollution is unlikely but may occur due to excessive flow from the tributary during rainfall events leading to microbiological load entrainment, and from excessive manure fertilisation. Cyanobacteria proliferation potential is moderate with historical occurrence of blooms. Macroalgae and phytoplankton proliferation potential is low with no historical occurrences.