European Environmental Agency condemns Spanish beaches

THE European Environmental Agency has demanded that Spain prohibit bathing in 58 beaches and rivers due to poor water quality, recommending that over 30 of them should be closed permanently to swimmers due to repeat offences.

In its latest report, the continental body warns of “serious deterioration” in water quality during 2015 compared to 2014, and among 34 beaches or rivers recommended to be shut down throughout Europe, 31 are in Spain.

Many of these are in Galicia, a region normally renowned for its green, natural beauty, with the following locations blacklisted: Barranán estuary, Regueiro, Peralto, Area da Vila, Camelle, A Concha, Barallobre, Caranza, A Cabana, Sardineiro, Playa Santa Cruz Porto, Ver, Centrona, Dada Delicias, and Penaoural beaches in A Coruña, plus the rivers Saa Pobra Do Brollón and Sil Ribas de Sil in Lugo, Arzoa Vilardevos in Ourense, and Arealonga-Redondela beach in Pontevedra.

Elsewhere in the country, dangerously-polluted water was recorded in the rivers Pelayo Arenas de San Pedro, Tiétar, Tormes Horcajada, Cantos Hornillo and Arlanzón in Castilla y Leon, the Alberche Escalona in Castilla-La Mancha, San Antonio en Vizcaya beach and the River Anduna Ochagavia in Navarra, the River Arba de Luesía in Aragón, Pedro Chate Jaraíz de la Vera gorge in Extremadura, and Cala Pedrera beach in the Balearics.

Andalucia appears on the list just once, with people advised to avoid the River Aguascebas in Villacarrillo, Jaen.