Beja Aquatica

Approximately 5km from Beja in the Alentejo, the remnants of the former summer waterpark, Beja Aquatica, can be found. This park, reportedly owned by a builder from the Algarve, operated for just three years before closing, as stated in an article from April 2014. Despite its dilapidated state, the site remains accessible for adventurous travellers, though some areas require cautious exploration and a camera for capturing memories.

In 2014, a fire set by three young men led to part of the roof collapsing. They ignited a mattress left by a squatter. To date, no arrests have been made. Following the fire, Beja Aquatica faded from the public eye. Local resident Helder Nogueira is working to preserve its memory through a Facebook page dedicated to the park. He also runs pages for other defunct waterparks in Portugal, including Ondaparque, the largest in the country during the 1990s, located in Costa da Caparica.

According to Jornal de Notícias, Beja Aquatica has been closed for around 35 years. However, Nogueira tells Atlas that the park opened in 1989 and shut down in 1992, which aligns with the evidence from the site, including the cafeteria's design. Plans were once in place to build a tourist complex with hotels, but those plans never came to fruition.