Vale do Lobo beach is Portugal’s biggest luxury golf and beach resort and its located on the South Portuguese Coast in Quarteira – municipality of Loulé. This shoreline stretch is characterized by a set of high cliffs with a narrow subjacent beach.

The erosion problems affecting the coastal stretch where Vale do Lobo beach is located are a direct consequence of human settlement and can be observed on beach thinning and cliff erosion.

The adopted strategy is to maintain as much as possible the natural aspect and width of the beaches and cliffs. The coastal engineering technique used in Vale do Lobo beach was artificial sand nourishment in open coast.

• Study area: local scale
• Type of coast: soft rock coast, beaches (with fine sand)
• Tidal regime: micro-meso tidal (<2m)
• Range of waves : mean Hsig =0.5-1.5m and T = 7-9 s ; annual storms Hsig= 3 m