Is tap water safe to drink in Portugal?

[senora1]

I’m leaving in 11 days for my CP. I live in California and would not drink tap water unless it’s filtered however I remember drinking from plenty of fountains in Spain. Is it the same in Portugal or should I plan to just buy bottled water? TIA

 

[MassNative]

Yes, tap water in Portugal is safe to drink unfiltered. (I have traveled to Lisboa, Porto, and the Algarve/Faro region.)

 

[jungleboy]

Yes, I lived in Portugal for nearly seven years and drank tap water daily.

 

[trecile]

I drink the tap water in Portugal, but I also will drink tap water in California.

 

[Tincatinker]

I never drink water. I know what fish do in it….

Acquaintances of mine who have indulged while in Portugal have suffered no obvious ill effects. For the more risk averse I recommend Ginjinha but do be careful not to swallow the pips

 

[dick bird]

It doesn’t seem to do the Portuguese any harm so you should be OK.

 

[dougfitz]

I’m leaving in 11 days for my CP. I live in California and would not drink tap water unless it’s filtered however I remember drinking from plenty of fountains in Spain. Is it the same in Portugal or should I plan to just buy bottled water? TIA

Tap water - you already have plenty of answers. Fonts and other sources in towns and villages are generally marked, and I never saw one marked as potable, although I wasn't checking religiously. The markings vary, and not every source that isn't tap water is marked. The most cogent explanation I have seen for this is that villages won't or can't afford the treatment and testing regimes to certify these sources as potable.

When I have collected from such sources, I have treated the water with a purification tablet before drinking it.

 

[trecile]

I'm from San Diego, but no longer reside in CA....did something happen to make it unsafe?

No, the water is safe. I do drink filtered water when I'm at my daughter's house in LA - the water is perfectly safe to drink, but it just doesn't taste great.

 

[lovelyshell]

Also from California! The water in Portugal is good however I found there weren’t as many Camino fountains on the CP as there were on the CF so I did find myself buy a big bottle at the end of each day to refill my pack bottle and to drink that night to rehydrate.

 

[Roland49]

I’m leaving in 11 days for my CP. I live in California and would not drink tap water unless it’s filtered however I remember drinking from plenty of fountains in Spain. Is it the same in Portugal or should I plan to just buy bottled water? TIA

I walked Porto to SdC in July 2023 and found that the tap water in Portugal in average was better in taste than in Spain. You can drink tap water and be fine. If it's not for human consumption it should be labelled as "agua impotavel!"

Have fun and a great experience!

 

[Scott Sweeney]

4000 miles from home, I drink bottled water but I'm sure we must of, we've been there twice.

 

[senora1]

No, the water is safe. I do drink filtered water when I'm at my daughter's house in LA - the water is perfectly safe to drink, but it just doesn't taste great.

I live in Paso Robles and our area has very hard water with a bad taste. We only drink filtered or bottled

 

[senora1]

Also from California! The water in Portugal is good however I found there weren’t as many Camino fountains on the CP as there were on the CF so I did find myself but a big bottle at the end of each day to refill my pack bottle and to drink that night to rehydrate.

That’s what I’ll do as well, thanks

 

[Bernie Brunino]

I am from Canada and have been on the Portuguese Camino for over a week now. Been drinking tap water since I got here and no issues.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Tap water - you already have plenty of answers. Fonts and other sources in towns and villages are generally marked, and I never saw one marked as potable, although I wasn't checking religiously. The markings vary, and not every source that isn't tap water is marked. The most cogent explanation I have seen for this is that villages won't or can't afford the treatment and testing regimes to certify these sources as potable.

When I have collected from such sources, I have treated the water with a purification tablet before drinking it.

Maybe, in Portugal, it would be labelled potável because, you know, they speak Portuguese and not Spanish?

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

I walked Porto to SdC in July 2023 and found that the tap water in Portugal in average was better in taste than in Spain. You can drink tap water and be fine. If it's not for human consumption it should be labelled as "agua impotavel!"

Have fun and a great experience!

This sounds about right. There are several out-in-the-open faucets in our neighbourhood. One is marked agua impotavel; the others have no marking. After several years of dealing with Portuguese officialdom and its penny-wise pragmatism, I would guess that the official response to "why isn't it marked drinkable?" would be "why would we? Of course it's drinkable if we don't say otherwise!"

 

[lt56ny]

It is a lot better than Flint,
Michigan!

 

[CathyP]

I’m leaving in 11 days for my CP. I live in California and would not drink tap water unless it’s filtered however I remember drinking from plenty of fountains in Spain. Is it the same in Portugal or should I plan to just buy bottled water? TIA

My husband and I bicycled the Portugues route in 2022 and had no issues with tap water in Portugal. Bon Camino!

 

[digitalgerry]

I’m leaving in 11 days for my CP. I live in California and would not drink tap water unless it’s filtered however I remember drinking from plenty of fountains in Spain. Is it the same in Portugal or should I plan to just buy bottled water? TIA

All water is safe to drink due to the high cross european standards. Any water not to those standards will have a notice.

 

[dougfitz]

All water is safe to drink due to the high cross european standards. Any water not to those standards will have a notice.

Clearly not all water is safe to drink, nor, in my experience, is all tap water. I have found outdoor taps in places labelled 'non-potable' or the equivalent. It appeared to me that municipalities and other organisations were using recycled water in their parks and gardens, when outdoor taps were clearly labelled.

That said, getting water from inside taps in albergues, bars, cafes, etc, will be safe barring local issues with water quality when additional treatment measures have been mandated. And one might expect that if there were such requirements, hospitaleros, bar staff, etc would advise you about that.

 

[senora1]

My husband and I bicycled the Portugues route in 2022 and had no issues with tap water in Portugal. Bon Camino!

Off subject but how was bicycling the CP? We did the CF 3 years ago and loved it…

 

[CA_Pilgrim]

I drink the tap water in Portugal, but I also will drink tap water in California.

That brave of you to drink California tap water.

In all seriousness, Portugal and Spain have a modern and efficient water system. However, I do bring along a Britta squeeze bottle and filter mine before filling my hydration pack. I'm not concerned about bacteria or viruses (Britta filters don't remove them anyway), but rather organic chemicals from our modern society that make it into the tap water. Britta filters helps to remove many of them and also make the water taste better by removing the chloramines.

 

[CathyP]

Off subject but how was bicycling the CP? We did the CF 3 years ago and loved it…

It was wonderful bicycling the CP! This was our first Camino and we found the infrastructure was excellent all the way, people were friendly...just a terrific experience! I would highly recommend a Camino by bicycle.

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

I’m leaving in 11 days for my CP. I live in California and would not drink tap water unless it’s filtered however I remember drinking from plenty of fountains in Spain. Is it the same in Portugal or should I plan to just buy bottled water? TIA

tap water yes, fountains maybe

 

[Goyo]

It is a lot better than Flint,
Michigan!

It is a lot better than Flint,
Michigan!

And de México, too!

 

[CWBuff]

I never drink water. I know what fish do in it….

In beer there is Freedom
In wine there is Knowledge
In water there is Bacteria
(attributed to Benjamin Franklin)

 

[Goyo]

I never drink water. I know what fish do in it….

Acquaintances of mine who have indulged while in Portugal have suffered no obvious ill effects. For the more risk averse I recommend Ginjinha but do be careful not to swallow the pips

You are a W.C. Fields aficionado perhaps

 

[Dougie]

Maybe, in Portugal, it would be labelled potável because, you know, they speak Portuguese and not Spanish?

Portugal is in the European Union and EU member states have to comply with The recast Drinking Water Directive (DWD) is the EU's main law on drinking water. It concerns the access to and the quality of water intended for human consumption to protect human health. The recast is a response by the Commission to the European Citizens' Initiative 'Right2Water. So unless it states is not drinking water it should be safe.