Paçô

13.8°C Water temp · Jun 8

Portugal Coastal 1 - Excellent 13.8°C

Satellite image of PAÇÔ — Satellite image © Esri

Paçô is a rural beach in Viana do Castelo with a wide sand strip and a consolidated dune system in accretion. The beach is monitored for bathing water quality according to Portuguese decree law. Monitoring occurs every three weeks during the bathing season.

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Water

PTCOST1 water body in the Lima river basin.

Location

Viana do Castelo municipality. Coordinates: 41.75972°N, 8.87806°W.

Season

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

Water Quality

Monitored according to Decreto-Lei 135/2009 (amended by Decreto-Lei 113/2012). No days of bathing prohibition or advisory occurred in 2024 due to short-term pollution events. Faecal contamination may originate from local agricultural drainage networks or from the Bico creek that empties near the beach. Cyanobacteria have a moderate proliferation potential with historical occurrence of blooms. Macroalgae and phytoplankton have low proliferation potential with no historical occurrence.

Risks

Short-term pollution is unlikely but may occur due to excessive tributary flow during rainfall events, causing entrainment of microbiological load, and due to exaggerated fertilisation with manure.