The collapse began at 10:18 near Praia da Vigia, about 12 km (7.5 miles) north of Ericeira, when a 46-metre (151-foot) stretch of cliff and retaining wall slumped towards the Atlantic. The failure sent an estimated 900 tonnes of rock and concrete onto the beach, leaving a fresh crack above the remaining wall and bringing work to a halt.
Peniche’s civil-protection office ordered residents out of 41 homes and closed two access roads. The 126 evacuees were taken to a municipal sports hall, where officials arranged blankets and transport for people who could not leave by car. The sea was rough and the sky over the coast was grey, but no one was reported hurt.
Court clears first demolition
The collapse came less than two hours after a Lisbon administrative appeals court rejected a final challenge to the wall’s removal. Its ruling lifted an injunction that had held up a municipal plan to dismantle the outer section and reopen a public coastal path. A contractor began preparatory work shortly after 09:30; the court did not order the cliff to be cut or excavated.
Valter A. Cvetko, a coastal engineer advising the municipality, said crews had been preparing to remove individual panels from the beach side when the ground moved. “The cliff gave way before the planned removal reached this section,” he said. Engineers were checking whether the break had exposed water channels behind the wall, which could destabilise more of the slope.
Estela Quintana, who lives in one of the evacuated homes, said she heard a low rumble and saw dust rise over the beach. “We were told to leave with what we could carry, and not to go back for anything,” she said. Officials said residents would not return until geologists had inspected the cliff and the road above it.
A costly wager on the coast
The 310-metre (1,017-foot) wall was built in 2021 by resort developer MaréVanta to protect a €210 million project (about US$242 million) of apartments and a hotel. Its founder, Eilon Morsk, promoted the development as a long-term bet on Portugal’s winter tourism. The company says the wall was designed to reduce erosion, not to change the shape of the beach.
The court’s ruling followed years of dispute over the wall’s effect on public access and shifting sand. It requires the developer to remove the outer section and restore a route along the shore. MaréVanta had argued that dismantling the structure before the end of the winter season could leave the nearby buildings more exposed; the municipality said the project would proceed in stages.
Herluf Kristensen, a geologist on the inspection team, said the immediate priority was to map the new fracture and compare it with measurements taken before work began. A further 180 metres of wall remained in place. The team expected to give officials an initial assessment by Thursday, but could not yet say whether the rest of the removal plan would change.
The municipality said the coastal path and both roads would remain closed overnight, with access controlled from a temporary checkpoint. Residents were told to contact local officials before returning for belongings. MaréVanta said it would meet the cost of emergency inspections and had paused all work at the site pending a technical review.
