The Government of Madeira is investing 2.1 million euros to curb coastal erosion on Porto Santo. The initiative involves dredging the harbour and replenishing the beach with 170,000 cubic meters of sand.
“This project combines complementary objectives. By restoring harbour navigability, we can use the recovered sediment to strengthen the coastal system. At the same time, we are testing artificial beach nourishment solutions—using sand extracted from designated borrow areas—as well as dune reconstruction. These efforts will provide valuable data for future interventions in Porto Santo and other coastal areas across the region,” stated the Regional Secretary for Tourism, Environment, and Culture, as quoted in a press release.
Supported by the ‘Life Dunas’ and ‘Praia Sustentável’ (Sustainable Beach) projects, the initiative began on 18 October, when a dredger arrived in Porto Santo. The Madeiran government said the work will be carried out in phases through November, with ongoing technical and environmental oversight, followed by monitoring of the results until 2028.
The various phases include dredging to restore navigability at the island’s harbour—with the resulting sand placed in the submerged portion of the beach—as well as beach nourishment along a stretch of the coast and the reconstruction of a dune system in the Calheta area. The latter two components utilise sand extracted from “borrow areas,” according to the Regional Government of Madeira.
The first stage of the project will take place between October 19 and 24, timed to coincide with the Lobo-Marinho’s absence. This vessel operates the maritime route between Madeira and Porto Santo.
“The goal is to ensure the harbour remains navigable, while using the extracted sediment to indirectly nourish the beach-dune system—a method that has been successfully tested in Porto Santo in the past,” the official added. The operation involves dredging 75,000 cubic meters of sediment from the port and depositing it in the submerged area off the beach, between the desalination plant and the Porto Santo pier.
“This solution revives a methodology that was successfully used on the island in 2017, when the indirect nourishment of the beach, using sediment dredged from the port, made it possible to both improve port conditions and reinforce the coastal system,” he explained.
As for the second measure, “it involves the artificial nourishment of a section of the beach, a technique common in other coastal areas, but one that will be applied for the first time on Porto Santo,” scheduled for 10 November to 12.
“Protecting the beach at Porto Santo requires a sustained approach, grounded in scientific knowledge, monitoring, and the adoption of solutions tailored to the specific characteristics of this coastline. This is the path we are following: intervening where necessary, testing different methodologies, and evaluating the results to ensure that future decisions are based on concrete data,” stated Regional Secretary Eduardo Jesus.
The official added that the work will take place in the Fontinha area, in front of the Urban Park, where sand will be placed directly on the beach, with an estimated volume of about 7,800 cubic meters.
“This beach nourishment, while widely used in Europe and mainland Portugal, is an unprecedented undertaking for Porto Santo,” the official noted, adding that experts, including representatives from the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), will monitor the operation.
The final intervention will be a pilot project focused on “dune reconstruction at Calheta, developed as part of the ‘Life Dunas’ project.” This initiative will involve “rebuilding a dune in the Ponta-Calheta area,” using an estimated 87,000 cubic meters of sand.
According to the Regional Government, “taken together, these three actions will make it possible to evaluate different methods for strengthening the coastal system—ranging from the use of sediments recovered during port dredging to artificial beach nourishment and dune reconstruction.”