Two popular Portuguese beaches have been closed after an “oil spill”, authorities said, with bathers banned from entering the water.

A source of pollution was identified on Saturday on the beach of Cabanas Velhas, in the Algarve, without knowing exactly what was the cause, the National Maritime Authority (AMN) said in a press release.

On Sunday, the beaches of Cabanas Velhas and Boca do Rio, in Vila do Bispo, were closed, reports the Portuguese daily CM Jornal.

In a statement published on the Vila do Bispo City Hall website and translated from Portuguese, the local authority declared that “the beaches of Cabanas Velhas and Boca do Rio are closed to swimming due to an oil spill having an impact on the bathing waters of these beaches.

The decision was reportedly taken after Ana Cristina Guerreiro, the regional health delegate for the Algarve, chose to decree “a ban on swimming activities on beaches until safety conditions are restored.” , according to the media.

After making this discovery on Saturday, the Maritime Police contacted the Southern Maritime Department and the Directorate for Combating Pollution at Sea, activating the 3rd level of preparation of the Clean Sea Plan, emergency measures that must be taken to fight against pollution in the maritime domain. .

Level three is activated by the local maritime authority (capitão do porto) for spills whose impact is limited to the area of ​​its jurisdiction, according to the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited (IOTPF) website.

Other spills may be subject to more extensive measures (levels one and two), if the impacts are more serious and widespread.

The AMN note indicates that the tide and lack of visibility meant that it was only possible to collect the polluting materials on Sunday morning, according to the media.

Authorities also patrolled adjacent beaches and discovered “the presence of polluting materials on Boca do Rio beach,” but in smaller quantities.

All collected and contaminated materials were transferred to the appropriate processing unit through the Municipality of Vila do Bispo, the note said.

Express.co.uk has contacted the council by email for further information.

The Algarve has long been a popular holiday spot for British sunseekers and was recently named the fifth best value destination in the world for 2024 by Post Office Travel Money.

The company’s global holiday cost barometer also revealed it was the cheapest in Europe. The report assesses the price of essentials in each destination and reveals that a cup of filter coffee costs just 88p in the southern region of Portugal, with a bottle of local beer at £2.20 and a glass of wine at £1.76, according to The Metro.