What will the beaches of the future be like? More importantly, will there be beaches at all? With these two powerful reflections, the Catalan Infrastructure Advisory Council (CAdIC) wanted to put on the table this Wednesday the "urgent" need to plan the management of sand on the Catalan coast to prevent beaches from disappearing.

Some prefer to swim in the pool, others in the sea, but whether you're a freshwater or saltwater swimmer, keep in mind that you run an invisible risk: infections from pathogens that live in the water. In the case of seawater, beach flags are a good ally to also check the health of the water. "Sometimes there's a red flag, and people see that the water is flat, clear, and jellyfish-free, and they ignore the warning. In these cases, it's probably due to the state of the water," says the doctor at the Sant Joan de Déu Montserrat Sanmartí Hospital health park.

Go to the beach, swim in the sea, and, upon exiting the water, ask yourself the following question: Should you remove excess salt from your skin before drying, or is it better to leave it? Dr. Alfonso María del Pozo Carrascosa, professor in the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology at the University of Barcelona, ​​​​has a clear answer to this summer dilemma. It is highly recommended to remove the salt immediately after exiting the water.

"We are facing an exceptionally bad year," admit sources from Catalan Civil Protection regarding mortality on Catalan beaches. This beginning of 2025 has seen the highest number of drownings in the last decade, with 25 fatalities on the Catalan coast as of Thursday, four more than last year and almost double the number recorded ten years ago in the same period. The latest victims are two children, aged 11 and 13, who drowned Tuesday night while swimming at Larga beach in Salou, Tarragonès. The children were British brothers, and their father, who also entered the water to rescue them, was rescued by the Emergency Services.

Seven people have drowned on Catalan beaches since the summer season began on June 15. That's seven deaths in two weeks, an average of one every two days. "It's not the worst figure in history, but it is one of the worst," Sergio Delgado, deputy director of Civil Protection programs for the Catalan government, told ARA. A year ago, five deaths were recorded in June, and the summer season (which ends on September 15) It ended with 17 fatalities at sea. We are, therefore, above the records of the previous year, and Delgado links this directly to the high temperatures, which cause people to go to the coast more.

In Catalonia, there are several beaches along the coast where, year-round, bathing and towel-laying are prohibited. These are very specific areas, with special nature reserve protection, such as the Ebro Delta or the Llobregat Delta. There, no matter how good the weather is, human presence is restricted to promote biodiversity conservation. This summer, for the first time, Can Comas beach, between Sant Pere Pescador and Empuriabrava, right in front of the Wetlands of the Empordà.

It's not even 12 noon, and the thermometer is already reading 25 degrees in many parts of Barcelona. "It feels like August 15th," says an elderly woman, sitting on the terrace of one of the first beach bars. from the Barceloneta promenade. She says this while looking at the beach, which, even though it's the end of May, is packed to the rafters. However, the difference with any August day is that today the vast majority of those who wanted to inaugurate the first beach day of the year are Barcelona residents, rather than tourists, who also lie on the sand, some with reddish skin, revealing that today has not been their first day of wallowing on Barcelona's beaches.

The Generalitat (Catalan Government) has decided that the increase in the tax on stays in tourist establishments (the "tourist tax"), agreed upon by the PSC (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) and the Comuneros (Commonwealth Party), will be processed as a bill. The ERC (Spanish Workers' Party) demanded this in order to introduce amendments, arguing that the bill treated sun and beach tourism like that of Barcelona, ​​when the reality is very different. This is true, but what is not so clear is what our sun and beach tourism needs. I will try to answer this question.

Two sunbeds and a parasol for €25 for the morning or afternoon, or €50 for the whole day; plus a supplement of between €3 and €5 if you are in the front row, or €20 if you want a towel. These are the prices offered at the Aiguablava cove in Begur for those who want to enjoy one of the forty sunloungers on the sand. The City Council put out a public tender in early 2021 to hand over the management of this service until 2024, but the area they occupy on the sand has attracted complaints from bathers. "Every day it's the same: you couldn't squeeze anyone else on the sand because the sunbeds take up most of the available space. They have privatised part of the beach!" Sandra and Manel, a couple from Manresa who have a second home in Begur, complain. On the other hand, the City Council makes a "very positive" assessment of the service: "It is a cove with high demand and under severe tourist pressure, and this is a way to control access and avoid crowds", Tourism councillor Eugeni Pibernat emphasises.

Lima, a three year old cross between a warren hound and a pinscher, sits on the sand looking at the sea in Castelló d'Empúries. What must she think this brief moment when she stops playing and running? Her owner, Nicky, comes closer and caresses her. The two often come here because, living in Roses, it is close by. These 400 metres of Rubina are, in fact, one of the few places on the Catalan coast where dogs are allowed to swim. Moreover, they are allowed all year round and without restrictions, which does not happen in the rest of the beaches that accept dogs. Each one is governed by its own regulations according to municipal regulations.