Woman in hospital after stung in the face by Portuguese man o’ war on the Costa Blanca

A WOMAN has been stung in the face by a Portuguese man o’ war after she went swimming on the Costa Blanca.

The middle-aged woman was bathing off Cabo de las Huertas, near Sant Joan d’Alacant, when she encountered the venomous jellyfish.

She was taken to Sant Joan Hospital earlier today (Monday) as her face began to swell and turn red.

Portuguese man o’ wars have breeding grounds near Huelva and Cadiz, but last year the alarm was sounded as various specimens travelled to the Costa Blanca.

The Alicante government last year placed nets in the waters of popular beaches to keep out the jellyfish, and have been discussing the use of drones to keep swimmers safe.

The Portuguese man o’ war can be easily spotted by the buoyant sail it uses to move on the surface of the ocean.

Its tentacles, however, can reach 30 metres in length.