The most polluted beaches to avoid in Spain this summer

With summer in full swing, Spanish environmental organisation Ecologistas en Acción (Ecologists in Action), which comprises over 300 local environmental groups has released a list of the country’s 48 most polluted beaches. According to the report, Spanish beaches are facing a multitude of pollution challenges, including chemical pollution, marine waste, over-development and sewage discharges.

“One of the biggest problems we are facing is the ‘touristification’ and urbanisation of our coast and this is a problem that especially affects the Canary Islands. The ecological footprint of the Canary Islands corresponds to that of a territory 27 times larger. In other words we need a territory 27 times larger to satisfy all the demands of the economic model and development of the archipelago”, a spokesperson of Ecologistas en Acción said.

The Canary Islands in particular are facing yet another set of challenges. Sewage discharges and chemical pollution are to be blamed for most of the damage. “In Tenerife 57 million litres of wastewater are discharged directly into the sea every day, equivalent to 17 olympic swimming pools of polluted water. Dreadful news for the entirety of the archipelago, as all eight Canary Islands suffer the same problem. Outlets located underwater are releasing harmful waste every day of the year. Disturbingly, over 90 per cent of wastewater from urban, industrial and agricultural centres is emptied almost untreated directly into the sea”, the report reads.

The campaign group is partly blaming the Spanish government for the terrible state of the beaches, which, according to them, is caused by a “suicidal race” to boost tourism and to reach record visitor numbers. Some of the most famous beaches in the list include the La Tejita beach in Tenerife and the Playa Blanca beach in Lanzarote.

The report comes a little over a year after the decision by Spain’s Balearic Islands to introduce 28 smoke-free beaches, an initiative supported by the Directorate General of Public Health and Participation in order to create healthier and cleaner beach environments.

Spain’s 48 most polluted beaches

1. La Farella, Girona, Catalonia
2. Various beaches on the Costa Brava, Girona, Catalonia
3. Comarca del Maresme, Barcelona, Catalonia
4. Sant Adrià del Besò, Barcelona, Catalonia 
5. Camino de Ronda, Tarragona, Catalonia 
6. Playa de la Pineda, Costa Dorada, Tarragona, Catalonia
7. Playa de L’Estany-Capicorb, Castellon, Valencia region 
8. Playa de Burriana, Castellon, Valencia region
9. Beaches at the Parque Natural de l’Albufera, Valencia, Valencia region
10. Puerto de Valencia, Valencia, Valencia region 
11. Barranco y playa del Amerador, Alacant, Valencia region
12. Playas de Cap l’horta, Albufera, Postiguet and San Gabriel, Alacant, Valencia region 
13. Mar Menor, Murcia region
14. Portman Bay and Sierra Minera, Murcia region
15. Playa Quitapellejos-Palomares, Almeria, Andalucia
16. Playa de ‘El Lancón’ en Carboneras, Almeria, Andalucia
17. Playa de Castell de Ferro, Granada, Andalucia
18. Playa Granada y Poniente, Granada, Andalucia
19. Playas de Malaga, Malaga, Andalucia
20. Coast of Malaga, Malaga, Andalucia 
21. Tarifa, Cadiz, Andalucia
22. Costa de Trafalgar, Cadiz, Andalucia
23. Huelva river, Huelva, Andalucia
24. El Portil, Huelva, Andalucia
25. Aldán river, Concello de Cangas, Pontevedra, Galicia
26. Arousa river and Pontevedra river, Pontevedra, Galicia
27. Minera de Galicia, A Coruna, Galicia
28. Pereiro river and Ramisqueira river, A Coruna, Galicia
29. Alcoa pond, Lugo, Galicia
30. Galician coast, Lugo, Galicia
31. Port of Figueres, Asturies
32. Villaviciosa, Asturies
33. Playa de Usgo, Cantabria
34. San Román de la Llanilla, Cantabria
35. Lamiako marsh area, Bizkaia, Basque Country
36. Gernika and Murueta, Bizkaia, Basque Country
37. Santa Clara Island, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country
38. La Concha Island, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country
39. Cala Xarraca, Ibiza, Balearic Islands
40. Playa de Talamanca, Ibiza, Balearic Islands
41. Port of Melilla, Melilla
42. Melilla Bay, Melilla
43. Monte Hacho, Ceuta
44. Playa de Desnarigado, Ceuta
45. Playa Blanca, Las Palmas, Lanzarote, Canary Islands
46. Corralejo Dunes, Las Palmas, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands
47. La Tejita Beach (Granadilla), Puertito de Armeñime (Adeje), Tenerife, Canary Islands
48. Northwest coastline of Tenerife, Canary Islands