MALAGA has banned swimming at six beaches across the city after water samples revealed dangerous levels of E. coli bacteria.
Campo de Golf-San Julian, Guadalmar, La Misericordia, Sacaba, San Andres and El Palo all have red flags flying.
Between them, the closures cover almost the entire Malaga city coastline, running from the airport in the west to El Palo, the historic fishing district on the eastern seafront.
The samples were taken on Sunday, August 16, by Emasa, the city’s municipal water company, which found bacteria concentrations above the safe threshold set by Spanish law.
READ MORE: Three Benalmadena beaches reopen after bathers hit by mystery skin reactions – but two remain shut
E. coli is a bacteria linked to sewage contamination that can trigger stomach upsets and infections in swimmers who ingest or come into contact with affected water.
The Malaga town hall says the spike follows overflow releases from the sewage network, triggered by the storm that struck the city in the early hours of Saturday, August 15.
Four of the six beaches — San Julian, La Misericordia, Sacaba and San Andres — had already been flying red flags since Saturday over the same storm-related discharges.
READ MORE: Popular Costa Blanca beach has swimming ban imposed due to water quality concerns
Emasa called them ‘brief, low-volume’ discharges at the time, while beach-cleaning crews spent the weekend clearing debris from the shoreline.
Green flags were restored at San Julian, La Misericordia and Sacaba on Sunday morning, only for Sunday’s fresh water samples to force the closures straight back.
Under Spain’s bathing water safety standards, councils must ban swimming or warn against it whenever bacteria readings breach the safe threshold, and keep testing until levels recover.
The town hall says further analysis will continue over the coming days to track the bacteria levels, but it has not given a timeframe for when any of the six beaches might reopen.
READ MORE: Marbella beaches reopen for swimming after fecal bacteria scare
Malaga is not the only Costa del Sol town affected.
Benalmadena shut five of its own beaches to swimming on Sunday — Las Gaviotas, Bil-Bil, Arroyo de la Miel, Santa Ana and Los Melilleros — after around 20 swimmers reported skin reactions.
The Benalmadena town hall has raised its own red flags as a precaution while it investigates possible contamination there too.
Bil Bil, Arroyo de la Miel and Los Melilleros reopened from midday on Monday, while Santa Ana and Las Gaviotas remains closed.
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