Campaigners highlight 48 Spanish beaches to avoid due to pollution and overdevelopment
Spain's Ecologists in Action, an environmental campaign group, has issued a stark warning to holidaymakers about the state of some of Europe's beaches.
In their latest annual Black Flag report, they've identified 48 beaches that are polluted with sewage, plastic waste, or suffering from other forms of environmental damage. Some of the popular holiday destinations on the list include Ibiza, Tenerife, and Malaga.
The report highlighted that out of these 48 beaches, 15 have been overdeveloped near the coastline, while 16 suffer from poor wastewater management, leading to pollutants lingering in the nearby ocean.
However, it's not just pollution that earns a beach a Black Flag. Overdevelopment, excessive noise, and too much light at night can also land a beach on this undesirable list.
Full list of Black Flag beaches
Andalucia
Playa Quitapellejos-Palomares, Almeria
Playa de ‘El Lancón’ en Carboneras, Almeria
Playa de Castell de Ferro, Granada
Playa Granada y Poniente, Granada
Playas de Malaga, Malaga
Coast of Malaga, Malaga
Tarifa, Cadiz
Costa de Trafalgar, Cadiz
Huelva river, Huelva
El Portil, Huelva
Asturies and Cantabria
Port of Figueres, Asturies
Villaviciosa, Asturies
Playa de Usgo, Cantabria
San Román de la Llanilla, Cantabria
Basque Country
Lamiako marsh area, Bizkaia
Gernika and Murueta, Bizkaia
Santa Clara Island, Gipuzkoa
La Concha Island, Gipuzkoa
Balearic Islands
Cala Xarraca, Ibiza
Playa de Talamanca, Ibiza
Catalonia
La Farella, Girona
Various beaches on the Costa Brava, Girona
Comarca del Maresme, Barcelona
Sant Adrià del Besò, Barcelona
Camino de Ronda, Tarragona
Playa de la Pineda, Costa Dorada, Tarragona
Canary Islands
Playa Blanca, Las Palmas, Lanzarote
Corralejo Dunes, Las Palmas, Fuerteventura
La Tejita Beach (Granadilla), Puertito de Armeñime (Adeje), Tenerife
Northwest coastline of Tenerife
Galicia
Aldán river, Concello de Cangas, Pontevedra
Arousa river and Pontevedra river, Pontevedra
Minera de Galicia, A Coruna
Pereiro river and Ramisqueira river, A Coruna
Alcoa pond, Lugo
Galician coast, Lugo
Melilla and Ceuta
Port of Melilla
Melilla Bay
Monte Hacho
Playa de Desnarigado
Murcia
Mar Menor
Portman Bay and Sierra Minera
Valencia
Playa de L’Estany-Capicorb, Castellon
Playa de Burriana, Castellon
Beaches at the Parque Natural de l’Albufera, Valencia
Puerto de Valencia, Valencia,
Barranco y playa del Amerador, Alacant
Playas de Cap l’horta, Albufera, Postiguet and San Gabriel, Alacant