Albufeira. Code of conduct comes into force

The Albufeira Municipality's code of conduct comes into force this Tuesday to prevent abusive conduct, providing for fines for nudity and walking around in a bikini or swimsuit in public areas.

After analyzing the contributions presented during the public consultation period, the new code was approved by the Albufeira Municipal Assembly on June 6 and published on Monday in the Official Gazette (DR), coming into force this Tuesday, the day after its publication.

According to the notice published in DR approving the new code, this is not a code “that imposes a certain type of clothing, or that restricts citizens’ freedoms and guarantees”, but rather a way of preventing abusive behavior.

The objective “is to respond to the feeling of the population that, having seen abusive behavior on the part of some citizens, they find themselves restricted in their freedom of movement on some roads and public spaces in the municipality”, the text reads.

Speaking to Lusa, the mayor, José Carlos Rolo, said that signs will be placed on the streets of Albufeira with information about the rules , which is still being finalised, admitting that there will be an awareness-raising period before the fines are applied.

“People have to start changing their awareness and adopting different attitudes. Our goal is to prevent these attitudes and not act after they have happened,” he said, warning that, after being warned, if people do not respect the rules, they may be fined by the Municipal Police or GNR.

The mayor took the opportunity to appeal to business owners and staff working in nightlife venues to provide information to tourists and visitors before fines are actually imposed. The new code aims to preserve the municipality, which is home to around half of the hotel supply in the Faro district, “as a multicultural, family-friendly and safe destination that values ​​its heritage and identity”.

“It is urgent to establish measures that allow us to effectively deal with the adoption of abusive behavior , particularly by those who seek the municipality of Albufeira as a tourist destination”, continues the notice published in DR.

The measures are of a “preventive nature” in order to prevent the practice of acts that, “by their nature, may cause undesirable damage to the resident population and the image of the municipality as a tourist destination”, adds the document.

The fines for wearing a bikini or swimsuit outside of authorized areas range from 300 to 1,500 euros, and the fine also applies to drinking alcohol, urinating or defecating in public spaces. Camping in unauthorized areas, spending the night in public spaces or spitting entails a fine of 150 to 750 euros, according to the code.

The practice or simulation of sexual acts or walking completely naked in public spaces ranges between 500 and 1,800 euros.