The picturesque fishing village of Ferragudo, located between Carvoeiro and Portimão, is set to receive a facelift to help create a more welcoming environment for visitors.

The focus of works in the centre of Ferragudo are based on transforming the village into a place dedicated to pedestrians, with an increase in green spaces being promoted by the local council who are responsible for the works.

According to a report by the local newspaper Sul Informação, the works in Ferragudo will involve removing all traffic and parking from the downtown area of the village, next to the Largo Rainha D. Leonor and the construction of a new parking area.

Francisco Martins, the Mayor of Lagoa, told the newspaper that the works in Ferragudo are set to cost between seven and eight million euros with the project expected to be completed over the next three years in various phases.

A public tender for the works is to be launched towards the end of 2018 but for the time being the requalification works are in a process of being studied by local authorities including the port authorities, the Portuguese environmental agency and mobility experts.

Francisco Martins said: “The aim of the project is to make the whole area more pleasant, for those who visit us and want to enjoy the area either on foot or by bike.  Currently the area represents a patchwork of interventions which have taken place over the years and now the goal is to unify all of the various projects.”

One of the main areas of intervention will involve the demolishing of the channel that runs through the centre of the village, this will be removed and replace with a natural, wider channel which will use a dam to moderate the rise in water levels according to the tides.  Not only is it hoped the new channel will help to reduce flooding in the village, it will also be a more attractive focus of the village.

The main square is set to be opened up, with the wall that is currently there being removed, while all around this area will be pedestrianised.  Along the riverfront the restaurant grill areas are to be made uniform, however the traditional elements of the local fishermen will not be lost as the council have identified that this remains an integral part of village life and will be preserved and highlighted.