Torrevieja Council reopened the natural swimming pools and rocky bathing areas along the Juan Aparicio promenade after fresh tests confirmed that the seawater once again meets legal safety standards.
The popular seafront bathing zone was temporarily closed on Wednesday after routine monitoring detected microbiological contamination. The Local Police restricted access, lifeguards raised the red flag and further samples were taken from the water, sand and rocks.
Although the council has confirmed that the latest results fall within the limits required for bathing, it has not disclosed which specific readings initially exceeded permitted levels or identified the source of the contamination.
However, the local press reported that elevated levels of intestinal enterococci had been detected. These bacteria are commonly associated with faecal contamination and can indicate the presence of sewage, although establishing the precise origin of such pollution can be difficult.
The Valencian Government’s Directorate-General for Environmental Quality and Education has officially declared the short-term pollution incident closed. It authorised the reopening after subsequent laboratory results showed that the affected waters had returned to acceptable levels.
According to the council, the preventive closure protocol was activated immediately after notification from the regional authorities. The response was coordinated by the municipal Beaches and Environment departments, with assistance from the Local Police, lifeguards and water management company Agamed.
Tests carried out the following day showed that the microbiological readings had returned to normal. The council described the incident as isolated and short-lived, saying the bathing area had been restored to normal use in less than 24 hours.
Municipal officials praised the effectiveness of the water-quality monitoring system, arguing that routine testing enabled the contamination to be detected quickly and appropriate safety measures to be introduced without delay.
The council also thanked residents and visitors for respecting the closure and apologised to those who were unable to use the bathing area while the restrictions remained in force.
With the reopening of the natural pools and surrounding rocks, bathers can once again access one of Torrevieja’s best-known coastal locations. The council said regular monitoring would continue to ensure that water-quality standards are maintained.
However, questions remain over the original cause of the contamination and the exact results of the tests. Information relating to the analyses conducted by the Generalitat’s Directorate-General for Water and through municipal sampling has not yet been made available.
