Praia da Rocha

Coordinates (research)

• Used: OSM way 98687797 “Praia da Rocha” (centroid, Nominatim) — 37.1155086, -8.5320834. [OSM via the Nominatim query listed in sources, 2 Oct 2026]
• pt-Wikipedia: 37.11666667, -8.53333333 — ≈ 170 m from the used point (haversine, computed here). [pt-Wikipedia]
• ABAE registered point: 37.11773, -8.53642 — ≈ 457 m from the used point (haversine, computed here). [ABAE registered point]
• APA classification list: 37.11605, -8.53737 — ≈ 473 m from the used point (haversine, computed here). [APA classification list]
• APA 2026 sampling point: 37.1161, -8.5374 — ≈ 476 m from the used point (haversine, computed here). [APA 2026 sampling point]
• OSM node 271251029 place=suburb “Praia da Rocha”: 37.1201369, -8.5364249 — ≈ 643 m from the used point (haversine, computed here). [OSM node 271251029 place=suburb “Praia da Rocha”]

What the sources say (research)

• Official profile: Urban beach with intensive use, next to the Rocha urban area. [APA profile PTCH9Q, v1/2026]
• Official profile: Wide golden sand extending over 1 km, with cliffs that create recesses. [APA profile PTCH9Q, v1/2026]
• Official profile: Frontage 1 139 m. [APA profile PTCH9Q, v1/2026]
• Official profile: Tide 3.4 m. [APA profile PTCH9Q, v1/2026]
• Official profile: Mean wave 0.5 m. [APA profile PTCH9Q, v1/2026]
• Official profile: Wind NW. [APA profile PTCH9Q, v1/2026]
• Official profile: Season 1 Jun–30 Sep 2026. [APA profile PTCH9Q, v1/2026]
• Official profile: 0 restricted days 2025. [APA profile PTCH9Q, v1/2026]
• Water quality Excellent every year 2011–2025. [APA classification 2011–2025]
• Blue Flag 2026 awardee (Rocha, Portimão); bathing season 01/06–30/09/2026; Blue Flag period 01/06–30/09/2026 — a month longer than most Algarve awardees, which start 01/07. [ABAE 2026 list; ABAE Portimão page]
• Qualified as “praia de banhos” for 2026 — bathing water Rocha (PTCH9Q), praia de banhos “Rocha”, época balnear 1 de junho a 30 de setembro; the annex footnote (*) states that waters without a listed praia de banhos are those where, at publication, surveillance of bathers is not assured (art. 2.º n.º 5 likewise). [Portaria 204-A/2026/1, anexo I (DR 1.ª série n.º 84, supl., 30 Apr 2026)]
• AMN “Praias Vigiadas” list (linked as “Praias Vigiadas 2025” from AMN’s landing page; no year printed on the list itself): Praia da Rocha — 1 de junho a 30 de setembro. [AMN Praias Vigiadas; AMN Época Balnear landing page]
• On the APA list of bathing areas with accessible beaches 2024 (“Rocha”). [APA Praias Acessíveis 2024]
• Municipality (concelho): Portimão; about 146,000 m² of sand along 1.5 km of coast; the 17th-century Fortaleza de Santa Catarina stands by the beach, built to defend the Arade river bar. [pt-Wikipedia rev. 19 Apr 2023]
• CM Portimão: after a requalification project the beach has a wide boardwalk of about 2.4 km along the sand and a sports area; the avenue above has hotels, bars, terraces, discos and a casino and ends at the Marina de Portimão; 16 restaurants on the beach. [CM Portimão — Praias do Concelho, updated 24 May 2022]
• CM Portimão: 10 links from the beach to the promenade and marina. [CM Portimão, 2022]
• CM Portimão: 68 toilets, 12 of them for people with special needs. [CM Portimão, 2022]
• CM Portimão: A medical post. [CM Portimão, 2022]
• CM Portimão: 24 hot-and-cold showers. [CM Portimão, 2022]
• CM Portimão: A playground on the beach. [CM Portimão, 2022]
• Praia da Marina is the small beach separated from Praia da Rocha by the jetty. [CM Portimão, 2022]
• Length: APA frontage 1 139 m [APA profile 2026]; pt-Wikipedia 1.5 km [rev. 2023]; guiadepraias 1.3 km [guiadepraias.pt].

Open questions