**1. Introduction**

Currently, there is enormous progress pressure in the coastal zone worldwide, which has resulted in the planning or construction of a large number of coastal developments. This situation requires more than protecting the existing coasts against natural risks, such as coastal erosion and coastal flooding. Typically, there is a need to rehabilitate many coastal areas under pressure from land development in the past and coastal erosion and degradation. However, in some regions, the high demand is not satisfied only with the rehabilitation of existing beaches [1].

In RAM (Autonomous Region of Madeira), the large concentration of hotels along the south coast, resulted in the reduction of free access spaces for the population to the sea, a situation that was compensated by the construction of several bathing complexes, cases of Ponta Gorda, Poças do Governador, Doca do Cavacas, Barreirinha, Ponta Delgada, among others [2].

From the rolled pebbles to the black sand, to the artificial and the various bathing complexes with natural pools, it is possible to find beaches for all tastes in Madeira; in fact, this created a competition with Porto Santo, until recently the only island in the archipelago with its nine-kilometer-long fine yellow sand beach [2].

In Madeira, initially, the beaches were all of rolled pebbles, with only one of black sand, the 'Prainha' in Caniçal (**Figure 1**), at the eastern end of the island, which is difficult to access, and some private and public bathing complexes in Funchal [2].

But about a decade ago the scenario started to change and one of the innovations was the import of sand from North Africa to build the artificial beach in Calheta (**Figure 2**) [2].

Calheta was the first beach in Madeira to import sand, having been inaugurated in 2004 and with two slope breakwaters as a form of protection. Praia da Calheta is a beach located in the parish of Calheta, on the island of Madeira, in Portugal, with a length of 100 meters. It is often sought after by canoeists and windsurfers [3]. This project was so successful that it was copied in the municipality of Machico, in the extreme east [2]. Located on the right bank of the mouth of Ribeira de Machico, Praia da Banda d'Além (**Figure 3**) is a beach that allows an immediate dive for those in the center of Machico [4].

With about 70 meters in length, the beach has locker rooms, changing rooms, showers, bathrooms, parking, and guarded during the bathing season [4]. This yellow sand beach is one of the few references of its kind on Madeira Island. It is

**Figure 1.** *"Prainha", Machico (source: https://www.madeiraallyear.com).*

**13**

*Land Uses Allocation: The Execution of an Artificial Beach and Its Complementary…*

framed in the emblematic Machico bay (**Figure 4**) inserted in a pleasant environ-

The introduction of sand from North Africa on the beaches of Madeira in recent years changed the appearance of the island but also extended the tourist offer for

The proposal presented is intended to create an artificial beach in the municipality of Machico and the necessary infrastructures, continuing the success of Praia da Banda d'Além, expanding the offer, and contributing to the economic and social

In addition to model the beach dynamics, an extensive characterization of the extreme maritime regime was performed in order to portray the analysis between the "MFL" maritime flood level, designates the sea level reached in exceptional situations and its iteration with the PDMM – essential instrument for spatial planning in the municipality of Machico. This part of the work has been previously developed, for example, in Colombia, where methodologies were proposed to estimate the long-term Maritime Flood Level (MFL) on a regional scale on the Caribbean coast and on the Pacific coast where a study was carried out in which a study was carried out. In fact, measures of vulnerability and adaptation to flooding in coastal and insular areas of Colombia were analyzed, depending on the characteristics of

ment, making it, therefore, one of the favorite places regionally [4].

development of the municipality and, consequently, RAM.

those seeking sun and sea [2].

*Machico Bay (source: Authors).*

the population and its infrastructure [5].

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.99844*

*Banda d'Além beach, Machico (source: https://www.madeiraallyear.com).*

**Figure 3.**

**Figure 4.**

**Figure 2.** *Calheta artificial beach (source: https://www.madeiraallyear.com).*

*Land Uses Allocation: The Execution of an Artificial Beach and Its Complementary… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.99844*

### **Figure 3.**

*Landscape Architecture - Processes and Practices Towards Sustainable Development*

Barreirinha, Ponta Delgada, among others [2].

(**Figure 2**) [2].

in the center of Machico [4].

In RAM (Autonomous Region of Madeira), the large concentration of hotels along the south coast, resulted in the reduction of free access spaces for the population to the sea, a situation that was compensated by the construction of several bathing complexes, cases of Ponta Gorda, Poças do Governador, Doca do Cavacas,

From the rolled pebbles to the black sand, to the artificial and the various bathing complexes with natural pools, it is possible to find beaches for all tastes in Madeira; in fact, this created a competition with Porto Santo, until recently the only island in the archipelago with its nine-kilometer-long fine yellow sand beach [2]. In Madeira, initially, the beaches were all of rolled pebbles, with only one of black sand, the 'Prainha' in Caniçal (**Figure 1**), at the eastern end of the island, which is difficult to access, and some private and public bathing complexes in Funchal [2]. But about a decade ago the scenario started to change and one of the innovations was the import of sand from North Africa to build the artificial beach in Calheta

Calheta was the first beach in Madeira to import sand, having been inaugurated in 2004 and with two slope breakwaters as a form of protection. Praia da Calheta is a beach located in the parish of Calheta, on the island of Madeira, in Portugal, with a length of 100 meters. It is often sought after by canoeists and windsurfers [3]. This project was so successful that it was copied in the municipality of Machico, in the extreme east [2]. Located on the right bank of the mouth of Ribeira de Machico, Praia da Banda d'Além (**Figure 3**) is a beach that allows an immediate dive for those

With about 70 meters in length, the beach has locker rooms, changing rooms, showers, bathrooms, parking, and guarded during the bathing season [4]. This yellow sand beach is one of the few references of its kind on Madeira Island. It is

**12**

**Figure 2.**

**Figure 1.**

*Calheta artificial beach (source: https://www.madeiraallyear.com).*

*"Prainha", Machico (source: https://www.madeiraallyear.com).*

*Banda d'Além beach, Machico (source: https://www.madeiraallyear.com).*

**Figure 4.** *Machico Bay (source: Authors).*

framed in the emblematic Machico bay (**Figure 4**) inserted in a pleasant environment, making it, therefore, one of the favorite places regionally [4].

The introduction of sand from North Africa on the beaches of Madeira in recent years changed the appearance of the island but also extended the tourist offer for those seeking sun and sea [2].

The proposal presented is intended to create an artificial beach in the municipality of Machico and the necessary infrastructures, continuing the success of Praia da Banda d'Além, expanding the offer, and contributing to the economic and social development of the municipality and, consequently, RAM.

In addition to model the beach dynamics, an extensive characterization of the extreme maritime regime was performed in order to portray the analysis between the "MFL" maritime flood level, designates the sea level reached in exceptional situations and its iteration with the PDMM – essential instrument for spatial planning in the municipality of Machico. This part of the work has been previously developed, for example, in Colombia, where methodologies were proposed to estimate the long-term Maritime Flood Level (MFL) on a regional scale on the Caribbean coast and on the Pacific coast where a study was carried out in which a study was carried out. In fact, measures of vulnerability and adaptation to flooding in coastal and insular areas of Colombia were analyzed, depending on the characteristics of the population and its infrastructure [5].
