On the plot what’s on the official map Beta
Land change detector using satellite images.
- Vegetation loss
- New water or flooding
- Burnt area
- Earthworks and bare soil
- New hard surface
Foral Terra · Watch a plot
Your plot, watched, even from a distance.
Fire, storms, council decisions, PDM changes: we tell you when something touches your plot — in plain language.
See how it worksSee an example with real dataWant to see the local rules first? Explore a plot for free
“Grandma’s plot” · LagosLagosFire
Very high fire risk in the area
IPMA · Sep 20In your space
LagosUrban planning
Public consultation on a nearby subdivision
Council · Sep 23In your space
Made for
You live outside Portugal
You inherited a plot
You have woodland or scrub
You want to buy or invest
How it works
1
Mark the plot
Point on the map or type in the coordinates. Give it a name you’ll recognise. No documents needed.
2
We watch it
We check official sources for the plot’s area — some daily, some weekly.
3
You get the alert
In your monitoring space — and by email if it’s urgent: what happened, what it means and what you can do.
What we watch
From your plot to the whole country
We watch four distances. The closer to the plot, the more certain we are — and every alert tells you how far away it happened.
In the area weather and risk where the plot is
Weather, risk and events around the plot.
- Fire risk and ongoing fires
- Occurrences
- Extreme events and weather phenomena
- Heat hotspots detected by satellite
- Copernicus emergency activations
- Changes in the forecast for the next 3 days
- Earthquakes near the plot
- Planned power cuts
- Official DGT and ICNF boundaries
- Map changes within 500 metres
In the municipality what the council decides
What the council publishes and decides.
- Minutes and notices
- Subdivisions and public consultations
- PDM zoning maps and municipal constraints
- PDM and other plans: publication, revision and amendments
- Regulations and fees
- Published charges
- Local news and prices in the area
In the country laws that touch you too
National rules that may apply to your plot.
- RAN, REN and Natura 2000 network (agricultural and ecological reserves and protected areas)
- New laws and deadlines
- Changes to works licensing rules
- Duties that may apply to your plot’s land type, depending on the municipality
Not every municipality publishes the same information. Your monitoring space shows what’s active for your plot — and when we’re not sure, we say so.
See the full list of sources by topic
Availability varies by municipality, source and confirmed footprint. Collection frequency is separate from publication and alert frequency.
For buyers, builders, remote owners, woodland owners and farmers: one plot at a time, with an evidence history and contextual alerts.
Plans, rules and consultations
Plans
Coverage dependentPublication, revision and amendment of PDM and other territorial management instruments.
PCGT
Coverage dependentProcedures to prepare or amend territorial plans, including public participation stages when published.
Deadlines and transitions
Coverage dependentPublished plan deadlines and regulatory transition dates, with the known scope for the watched area.
Regulations
Coverage dependentPublication and amendment of municipal regulations on urbanisation, building and fees.
Projects and municipal decisions
Municipal activity
Coverage dependentCouncil minutes, notices and other municipal publications relevant to the plot area; each alert explains the actual relation.
Land charges
Coverage dependentOfficial publications about charges or encumbrances in the area; a plot relation is stated only when documented.
Environment and risk
Environment and Risk
Coverage dependentFire risk, weather warnings and forecast, earthquakes, thermal anomalies and scheduled power cuts, where sources cover the location.
Services and obligations
Obligations
Coverage dependentNotices about duties and deadlines potentially relevant to the area or declared plot use, subject to individual confirmation.
Maps and vegetation
National maps
Coverage dependentUpdates to official national maps — REN, RAN, Natura 2000, easements and other constraints.
Municipal maps
Coverage dependentChanges to municipal zoning and constraint maps, including land use classes and building indices.
Official boundaries and classifications
Coverage dependentUpdates to ICNF and DGT map data where available. We verify whether an edition changes the plot before claiming impact.
Coverage corrections
Coverage dependentCorrections identified in geographic or regulatory sources; we relate them to the plot only when location is confirmed.
Satellite land change detector
BetaCompares satellite images of the plot to detect changes on the surface: vegetation loss, new water, burnt area, earthworks and new hard surface. The cause is not confirmed.
- Copernicus Sentinel-2 (ESA / European Union): Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data.
- NASA OPERA DIST-ALERT: OPERA DIST-ALERT product by NASA/JPL, distributed by the NASA LP DAAC.
- None of these sources implies endorsement by ESA, the European Union or NASA.
Nearby map edits
Coverage dependentRelevant OpenStreetMap edits within 500 metres of the watched point.
Local context
Local news
Coverage dependentArticles from local and national press about the municipality and the plot surroundings.
Local market
Coverage dependentListings and market indicators nearby where comparable data exists. Context, not a change to the plot.
How we assess coverage and relevance
Each alert should identify its source, publication or validity date, locality and relation to the plot. A municipality mention or broad map refresh may need verification before claiming parcel impact. Land-change detection uses Sentinel-2 satellite imagery and the NASA OPERA DIST-ALERT product.
Alert examples
See how alerts reach you
Six examples, six different types. Pick one to read. By email we only send urgent alerts and the weekly summary.
“Plot” · Arouca, Aveiro
Public consultationIn the plot’s municipality
Public consultation on the Arouca PDM amendment, 24 August to 2 October 2026
- What happened
- Arouca council opened the public consultation on the 1st amendment to the 2nd revision of its Municipal Master Plan (Notice no. 20360/2026/2, published in the Diário da República on 17 August 2026). The participation period ran from 24 August to 2 October 2026.
- For your plot
- The notice covers the whole municipality. We have not yet checked whether the amendment touches your plot. A master plan can change what is allowed on each type of land.
- What you can do
- Read the documents on the council’s page. In a notice like this, the period for taking part is stated in the notice itself.
Source: Arouca council and PCGT · Sep 25, 2026Only in your monitoring space
“Quinta do Monte” · Silves, Faro
Land changeBetaInside the plot boundary
Earthworks detected on your plot
- What happened
- We compared the satellite images from 27 September with earlier ones. In one area of the plot, vegetation gave way to bare soil, in two images in a row.
- For your plot
- The change is visible, but the cause is not confirmed. Only someone on site can confirm it.
- What you can do
- If you were not expecting this change, ask someone you trust to go and see. If it was planned work, record it on the plot.
Source: Foral Intelligence · Sep 27, 2026Only in your monitoring space
“Grandma’s plot” · Lagos, Faro
OngoingIn the plot’s area
Active fire 2.8 km from the plot
- What happened
- Civil Protection (ANEPC) reported an ongoing rural fire in Lagos, Faro, about 2.8 km from the plot, on 20 September 2026. Means on site: 32 personnel.
- For your plot
- The fire is not on the plot, but it is close. Smoke and access to the area can change quickly.
- What you can do
- Follow the authorities' guidance and do not travel to the area unless necessary.
Source: ANEPC · Sep 20, 2026✉ Also sent by email
“Dad’s garden” · Lagos, Faro
Yellow warningIn the plot’s area
Yellow warning for strong wind in the area
- What happened
- There’s a yellow warning for strong wind in Lagos, Faro. The warning comes from the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). It’s for 16 September.
- For your plot
- It may knock down trees, roof tiles and fences, and cut off access to the plot.
- What you can do
- If you can, secure anything loose on the plot before the warning starts.
Source: IPMA · Sep 16, 2026✉ Also sent by email
“Luz plot” · Lagos, Faro
Worth knowingLocation named in the notice
Public consultation: amendment to the Mata Porcas-Luz subdivision
- What happened
- The council opened a public consultation period on an amendment to an existing subdivision in Mata Porcas-Luz (Notice 237/2026).
- For your plot
- It may change land occupation and use within the subdivision area, and involve the owners.
- What you can do
- Check the case file and, if you want, take part in the public consultation before the deadline.
Source: Lagos Municipal Council · Sep 23, 2026Only in your monitoring space
“Grandma’s plot” · Lagos, Faro
Worth knowingIn the plot’s region
New mining exploration area requested near your plot
- What happened
- A company has applied for mineral prospecting and exploration rights over an area of about 50 km² between Lagos and Aljezur, according to local press.
- For your plot
- The plot is outside the requested area, but future mining could bring heavy traffic, noise and changes to the local landscape.
- What you can do
- Follow the process; if a public consultation opens, you can have your say.
Source: Local news · Sep 21, 2026Only in your monitoring space
Illustrative examples (September 2026), some based on real Watch a plot alerts and real official notices. We changed the plot names and simplified some sentences. By email we only send urgent alerts and the weekly summary; the rest stay in your monitoring space.
A real case
Arouca: the change to the PDM, step by step
A public case in a municipality with watched plots. The dates come from the official sources below.
4 Aug 2026
At a council meeting, Arouca council took the decision that led to the public consultation on the 1st amendment to the 2nd revision of the municipal master plan (PDM).
17 Aug 2026
Notice no. 20360/2026/2 was published in the Diário da República.
24 Aug to 2 Oct 2026
The public consultation on the change to the PDM took place.
25 Sep 2026
Watch a plot linked the PCGT record to the council page: the same notice, with the same dates.
The notice is for the whole municipality. We have not yet checked if the change touches each plot. A notice that was already open when the plot was registered does not cause an email: it stays in the monitoring space.
Sources (checked on 25 September 2026)
When something changes on your plot
The most important changes aren’t always visible on site. Drag to compare.
A land-use rule changes
We only state a change like this once the official plan edition, its applicable date and a confirmed plot boundary support it.
Something changes on the surfaceBeta
Satellite image comparison. It shows that something changed on the surface, but not why.
Frequently asked questions
How can I watch my plot if I live outside Portugal?
Mark the plot on the map and follow the alerts in your monitoring space, wherever you are. Urgent ones, like very high fire risk, also reach you by email. You don’t need to visit the site or call the council to find out if anything changed. Each alert explains what happened, what it means for your plot and where the information comes from. You can also get a weekly summary, even in quiet weeks.
How do I know if there’s a fire risk near my plot?
We follow the rural fire risk published by IPMA (the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere) for the plot’s area. When the risk rises to “Very high” or “Maximum”, we warn you and say what you can do — for example, not burning vegetation. We also warn you when the risk stays high for several days in a row and when there are severe weather warnings, like strong wind.
How do I know if the PDM changed and whether it affects my plot?
The PDM (Municipal Master Plan) is the council’s plan that sets out what can be built and done in each zone of the municipality. We warn you when a plan is published, amended or revised, and when a public consultation period opens. We only say a change touches your plot when we can confirm it on the official map. When we can’t, we say so clearly in the alert.
What is the land change detector?
It detects surface changes with satellite images: vegetation loss, new water, burnt area, earthworks and new hard surface. The types are estimated by rules and the cause is not confirmed. This feature is in Beta.
I inherited a plot. How do I find out what’s happening with it?
Start by marking the plot on the map, even if you don’t yet know its exact boundaries. You’ll start receiving alerts about fire risk, plans and council decisions for that area. If you confirm the plot’s area, the alerts become more precise.
Is it worth watching a plot before buying it?
It can help. While you decide, you’ll know if the council has opened public consultations, if nearby subdivisions are changing, or if plans are being revised. Alerts don’t replace consulting the council, the land registry certificate or a professional’s advice.
Do I get notices about clearing land?
On high fire-risk days, alerts remind you what to do, such as keeping fuel-management strips clear. Notices about legal clearing deadlines are not yet available for every municipality. Where they exist for your area, they appear in your monitoring space.
Is Watch a plot free?
Watch a plot is part of Foral’s Premium plan. You can start for free with Explore a plot and activate monitoring whenever you want.
Do the alerts work across the whole country?
They work in mainland Portugal. What we can watch varies by municipality, because not every council publishes the same information. Your monitoring space shows what’s active for your plot.
How often do I get alerts?
Only when something relevant happens for the plot’s area. Some sources are checked every day, others every week. By email we only send urgent alerts, such as fire risk or severe weather warnings, plus a weekly summary; the rest stay in your monitoring space.
Stay at ease, even from afar.
Watch a plot is part of Foral’s Premium plan. You can start for free with Explore a plot.