Project || A €3 million project to breathe new life into the Vilamoura-Quarteira beachfront took a major step forward on September 24, when Loulé municipality and construction company Saraiva e Filhos signed the agreement that signalled the start of the works.
The future ‘Passeio das Dunas’ (Dunes Path), as beahfront ‘avenue’ will be called, will include a new walking/cycling path, green and leisure spaces and a car park across 17.7 hectares. The area’s sand dunes, a natural attraction, will also be replenished as part of the project. The work is expected to be completed within 13 months.
The area is now cut off to pedestrians and traffic, and the road that used to link Vilamoura and Quarteira has now been decommissioned. Work did not start earlier to ensure minimal disruption during the peak tourism months.
“This project is, of course, a dream come true for the people of Quarteira, but it is also important for Vilamoura from an economic perspective,” Loulé mayor Vítor Aleixo told journalists during a ceremony to mark the signing of the construction deal.
The project aims to bring a much-needed facelift to the area, as well as bring the two communities closer together. It had been in the pipeline for around 13 years but past concerns that the project had hit a wall have now vanished.
“If it had been up to us, this project would have been accomplished a long time ago. But the past is the past; it is the future that matters,” Aleixo said.
The mayor also stressed the importance of turning a new leaf on the reputation of the area, once home to Bairro dos Pescadores, a crime-ridden neighbourhood that was considered one of the black spots of the Algarve and which was demolished in 2011.
“The completion of this project will do away with the belief that Vilamoura is a first class tourist destination and Quarteira is second class,” said Aleixo, adding that it will also help solve some problems with open-air sewage that affect the area.
Meanwhile, the mayor assured local hoteliers that although construction work will extend until next summer, the municipality will do its best to “minimise the impact” on the local tourism activity.
