Spain, a favourite European beach destination, faces a looming crisis as climate change and overtourism threaten its world-famous coastlines.
Rising sea levels, intensified storms, and coastal erosion have started to diminish Spain’s beaches, raising concerns about the future of its vital tourism industry.
Experts warn that some of Spain’s beaches, which draw millions of holidaymakers every year, could disappear entirely in the coming decades.
Markus Donat from the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre told EuroNews: “Many beaches in Spain are already affected by erosion, especially during winter storms.
“The problem is worsening due to more frequent and violent storms.”
Catalonia, home to Barcelona’s iconic beaches, is particularly vulnerable.
Following a series of damaging storms, some beaches lost up to 25 meters of sand, leaving them severely eroded.
Eight of Barcelona’s nine beaches are now at high risk of disappearing.
Spain has long been battling this issue, with the government pouring millions into beach restoration projects.
However, experts believe that continuing to replace sand is unsustainable.
“This problem requires significant economic investments every three or four years to repair the beaches and promenades,” said Jorge Olcina, a geography professor at the University of Alicante.
As sea levels rise, climate models predict that Spain’s coastlines will face even more erosion, potentially forcing the closure of some beach destinations.
While Spain remains a top tourist destination, the future of its beaches—and the country’s ‘sol y playa’ tourism model – looks increasingly uncertain.
