River swimming in Portugal: 2025 water quality
Portugal reported 118 river bathing waters for the 2025 season. 43.2% were classified Excellent — 38.8 points below the 82% for all 682 bathing waters in the country — and 8 were Poor. 24 sites have been Excellent in every season from 2015 to 2025. Among the 8 countries with at least 30 river bathing waters, Portugal ranks 4 by Excellent share.
river bathing waters
Excellent in 2025
Poor in 2025
Find the nearest Excellent river to you →
Map of river bathing waters
How river bathing waters in Portugal rated since 2015
Counts for the sites in today’s 2025 inventory; the Excellent share is calculated over classified sites only.
| Season | Classified | Excellent | Excellent share | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 109 | 51 | 46.8% | 8 |
| 2024 | 106 | 53 | 50% | 5 |
| 2023 | 104 | 65 | 62.5% | 0 |
| 2022 | 103 | 66 | 64.1% | 1 |
| 2021 | 99 | 75 | 75.8% | 0 |
| 2020 | 90 | 68 | 75.6% | 1 |
| 2019 | 89 | 71 | 79.8% | 0 |
| 2018 | 87 | 71 | 81.6% | 1 |
| 2017 | 85 | 66 | 77.6% | 2 |
| 2016 | 79 | 53 | 67.1% | 0 |
| 2015 | 72 | 46 | 63.9% | 0 |
Most consistent Excellent rivers
24 sites were Excellent in all eleven seasons. Ordered by the length of the unbroken Excellent run ending in 2025.
- AÇUDE DO PINTO 11 seasons
- ADAÚFE 11 seasons
- AGROAL 11 seasons
- BOSTELIM 11 seasons
- CARVOEIRO (MAÇÃO) 11 seasons
- CASCALHEIRA-SECARIAS 11 seasons
- FRÓIA 11 seasons
- LAPA DOS DINHEIROS 11 seasons
- LENTA 11 seasons
- LORIGA 11 seasons
- MALHADAL 11 seasons
- OLHOS DA FERVENÇA 11 seasons
- PALHEIROS E ZORRO 11 seasons
- PEGO DAS CANCELAS 11 seasons
- PENEDA/PÊGO ESCURO 11 seasons
- PENEDO FURADO 11 seasons
- PESSEGUEIRO 11 seasons
- PONTE SOEIRA 11 seasons
- QUINTA DO BARCO 11 seasons
- RECONQUINHO 11 seasons
- RIBEIRA GRANDE 11 seasons
- VALHELHAS 11 seasons
- VERIM 11 seasons
- VIMIEIRO 11 seasons
- ANÇÃ 10 seasons
- CARDIGOS 10 seasons
- SETE FONTES 10 seasons
- AZENHAS - VILAR DE MOUROS 9 seasons
- LAMEIRA-QUADRAZAIS 9 seasons
- SEGÕES 9 seasons
- S. JOÃO DO MONTE 8 seasons
- TRABULO 8 seasons
- PRADO FAIAL 6 seasons
- RONQUEIRA 6 seasons
- AREÍNHO 5 seasons
- PAÇO DO MATO 5 seasons
- PAMPILHOSA DA SERRA 5 seasons
- PONTE DE JUNCAIS 5 seasons
- VIDEMONTE-QUINTA DA TABERNA 5 seasons
- AÇUDE DE VAIS 4 seasons
- FOLGOSA 4 seasons
- PONTE DO BICO 4 seasons
- BADAMALOS 3 seasons
- RABAÇAL 3 seasons
- SABUGUEIRO 3 seasons
- PONTE FRADES 2 seasons
- CAVADINHO 1 season
- CAVEZ 1 season
- MARAVILHA 1 season
- PRAIA FLUVIAL DE CONSTANCIA 1 season
- URTIGAL 1 season
Rivers rated Poor in 2025
- ALMACEDA Poor in 2 of 11 classified seasons
- BENFEITA Poor in 2 of 9 classified seasons
- FRAGAS DE S. SIMÃO Poor in 2 of 11 classified seasons
- POÇO DO LAGAR Poor in 1 of 9 classified seasons
- PONTE DA BARCA Poor in 2 of 9 classified seasons
- PONTE DO SÓTÃO Poor in 1 of 4 classified seasons
- RELVA DA REBOLEIRA Poor in 2 of 11 classified seasons
- SANDOMIL Poor in 2 of 11 classified seasons
Changes from 2024 to 2025
Improved (4)
- CAVEZ Good → Excellent
- MARAVILHA Good → Excellent
- PRAIA FLUVIAL DE CONSTANCIA Good → Excellent
- URTIGAL Good → Excellent
Declined (11)
- AGROAL (ARGANIL) Excellent → Good
- ALDEIA RUIVA Excellent → Good
- ALVARES Excellent → Good
- ARQUITETO ALBINO MENDO Excellent → Good
- CASTELO NOVO Good → Sufficient
- DR. PEDRO Excellent → Good
- POÇO DO LAGAR Sufficient → Poor
- PONTE DA BARCA Sufficient → Poor
River bathing waters by region
| Region | Sites | Excellent | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centre (Centro) | 82 | 39% | 7 |
| North (Norte) | 28 | 53.6% | 1 |
| Oeste e Vale do Tejo | 6 | 66.7% | 0 |
Regions with at least three river bathing waters; counts include only this water type.
Near which major cities?
Sites within 60 km (straight line) of a major city covered by our city guides:
Rivers compared across Europe
| # | Country | Sites | Excellent | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 37 | 73% | 0 |
| 2 | Czechia | 91 | 72.5% | 0 |
| 3 | Netherlands | 78 | 69.2% | 4 |
| 4 | Portugal | 118 | 43.2% | 8 |
| 5 | France | 444 | 41% | 62 |
| 6 | Poland | 100 | 40% | 10 |
| 7 | Spain | 164 | 35.4% | 28 |
| 8 | Hungary | 45 | 33.3% | 1 |
Countries with at least 30 river bathing waters. Networks differ in size and in how sites are designated, so this is a descriptive comparison, not a safety ranking.
Quick answers
- How many river bathing waters in Portugal are rated Excellent?
- 51 of 118 (43.2%) in the 2025 EEA classification.
- Which rivers in Portugal have the best long-term record?
- 24 sites were Excellent in every season from 2015 to 2025, for example AÇUDE DO PINTO, ADAÚFE, AGROAL. See the full list.
- Can I check current conditions?
- The annual class is not a live status. Current results and bans are published on InfoÁgua (APA). Each site page on BathingWaterFinder also shows a weather forecast, including heavy-rain warnings.
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