New App Maps 130 River Beaches Across Portugal

A free mobile application called River Beaches has launched to help users locate inland swimming spots in Portugal. The app maps more than 130 river beaches and includes photographs, descriptions, and suggestions from previous visitors. It is currently available on the Apple App Store and will be released on Google Play.

Users can apply filters to match preferences such as the presence of restaurants, parking, restrooms, lifeguards, or child- and dog-friendly areas. The application is offered in Portuguese, English, and Spanish.

Beaches was developed as demand grows for quieter freshwater locations away from crowded coastal resorts. Many of the mapped sites lie along the Mondego, Zêzere, and Alva rivers in central Portugal's forested mountain regions. The team behind the app states that 50 percent of profits will support river restoration and water retention projects.

Portugal already operates a separate government-linked service, Vodafone’s Praia em Directo, which supplies real-time water quality and lifeguard data for both coastal and river beaches.