Ameixial's climate refuge offers relief from Algarve heat

A public space in Ameixial, in the municipality of Loulé, offers residents and visitors a cooler place to meet during extreme summer heat. The Espelho de Água da Fonte da Seiceira combines water, vegetation, shade and seating.

The refuge opened about a decade before the report, after an investment of about €50,000. Its origins go back to a community planning process that identified restoration of the local spring as a priority. Today it also offers an alternative to the Algarve's crowded beaches. The project shows how modest investment in water, greenery and public space can help communities adapt to heat.