Europe’s most polluted beaches – where swimming comes with a health warning

Top of the list of requirements for the perfect beach holiday is a sandy stretch bordered by clean, clear water – something that should be a given, but isn’t. The UK has received plenty of publicity about its dirty seas and rivers, but the rest of Europe has its fair share too.

Many factors affect water quality, from sewage spills to storm surges, marine litter, microplastics, agricultural run-off and industrial pollution. The good news is that, thanks to careful monitoring and improvements (much of it the result of campaigning by environmental groups), the situation is slowly getting better.

The European Environment Agency (EEA), which monitors bathing water quality across more than 21,000 sites, reports that it has “improved significantly over the past four decades” and that “more than 95 per cent of bathing sites meet the minimum standards set by EU legislation”. Sadly though, even the cleanest beaches suffer from polluting events, according to Tim Nunn of marine conservation and campaigning charity Surfers Against Sewage.

“Unfortunately in the UK we still have ‘dry spills’, which means sewage is spilt without rain, but going swimming after really heavy rain is the biggest thing to be wary of,” said Nunn. “Any beach near a population centre is also not going to be immune from pollution at times.”

Looking at EEA data and local sources, we’ve identified some of Europe’s most polluted beaches, all of which are near busy resorts or city-break destinations. Check that they’re not on your must-swim list below. It’s not all gloomy reading, though: councils in each of these areas are reported to be working hard to make improvements.

Plage de La Gravette, Antibes, France

While the vast majority of beaches on the Côte d’Azur enjoy ‘excellent’ water quality according to the EEA, the stretch around Cap d’Antibes is deemed only ‘sufficient’ or ‘poor’ — notably on popular Plage de la Gravette, beneath the old town of Antibes. This beach is a hit thanks to its sheltered location, but its water is enclosed by rock walls and doesn’t circulate well.

In June 2023, officials were forced to ban swimming here because the water contained high levels of the enterococcus bacteria found in sewage discharge (the issue was thought to be caused by storm runoff and recreational boats).

The good news? The Municipality of Antibes has been working hard to stop the pollution of bathing water and its quality has improved for the 2024 season. Be that as it may, swimmers might want to head to Juan-Les-Pins, on the other side of the Cap, after any big storms: its water is consistently rated “excellent” by the EEA.

Saint-Michel-en-Grève, Brittany, France

Many of Brittany’s most picturesque beaches have, for decades, been badly affected by green algae. This invasive algae is, in fact, a sea lettuce native to the area – however, nitrates entering the water encourage it to grow out of control, and it then emits hydrogen sulphide when it starts to decay. This toxic gas can cause headaches, nausea and eye irritation and it’s been linked to the deaths of both people and animals in the area.

The French government and local authorities are trying to tackle the problem, spending around €1 million per year cleaning up the algae, but they’ve been criticised for not doing enough: beach closures remain commonplace while the water at the inviting 4 km stretch of sandy beach at Saint-Michel-en-Grève has been consistently categorised as “poor” since 2021. There are places to escape the green stuff along Brittany’s coast though, including Saint-Malo, two hours’ drive east and deemed to have “excellent” water quality by the EEA.

Pellaro Lume, Reggio Calabria, Italy

A busy port town in southern Italy, Reggio Calabria is the main arrival and departure point for Sicily, fringed on one side by the blue Ionian sea. But beware of taking a dip in that inviting water – a bathing ban is put in place every summer along a 12 km stretch of coast that runs beside the town, where a “poor” EEA classification covers seven beaches including the popular Pellaro Lume.

In 2019, there was uproar when swimmers, many of them children, ended up in hospital with infections caused by fecal contamination (the problem appeared to be worst around Bocale, the next settlement along). President of the Calabria region, Roberto Occhiuto, has made the purification of wastewater a priority, though there’s still some way to go. Despite this, some stretches of excellent water are found to the north of Reggio Calabria along with many to the south.

Lido Olimpo, Sicily, Italy

As the city of Palermo has boomed into a burgeoning destination, the quality of water on its beaches has taken a dive. Over the past five years, water quality across around half of the city’s coastline – a 17km stretch from Mondello to Ficarazzi – has plummeted from an “excellent” EEA rating to merely “sufficient”, and two beaches (Messina Marine and Lido Olimpo) are now rated “poor”.

Palermo’s mayor imposes frequent bathing bans because of fecal bacteria from wastewater as well as potential contamination of groundwater from landfill sites. Sewage systems have been modified to eliminate spills and the beaches have been cleaned, but the environment is still in a process of recovery. The good news is that excellent water can be found on beaches to the north and south of Palermo, including the glorious clear waters of Fondachello.

Praia do Camilo, the Algarve, Portugal

In 2020, the red flag was raised at Camilo and Batata near the city of Lagos on Portugal’s south coast and swimming was banned, after the water was found to be contaminated by faecal coliforms. In the summer of 2023, a Portuguese environmental NGO called ZERO warned that the quality of Portugal’s water is deteriorating: 28 beaches on the country’s coastline are now subject to “do not swim” notices (an increase on 21 in 2022).

Praia do Camilo is often named as one of Portugal’s best secret beaches, but the quality of its water is compromised by its proximity to Lagos and the city’s uncontrolled disposal of raw sewage and ineffective system for wastewater.

The good news is that water quality improves significantly on Meia Praia, a 4km stretch of golden sand to the east of Lagos that’s the largest beach in the region. It’s rated “excellent”.

Playa del Fòrum, Barcelona, Spain

It’s not exactly picturesque, with a backdrop of a thermal power station, urban waste incinerator and sewage treatment plant, but the Fòrum beach in Sant Adrià de Besòs on the fringe of Barcelona is frequented by both city folk and tourists seeking sea air. However, for the past four years, the EEA has been calling for the beach to be closed due to its poor water quality, blamed on sewage overflows and deposits from the Besòs river.

The Catalan Water Agency has fought a swimming ban, saying its own 2023 water analysis of Fòrum was good, apart from a brief period after some rains. Still, if you want to stay on the safe side, there are many other Barcelona beaches to choose from, some of which are rated “excellent”, including Playa de Sant Sebastià, Playa del Bogatell and Playa de la Mar Bella.

Six of the cleanest beaches in the UK

Oddicombe Beach, Torquay, Devon

On the south coast of Devon, framed by red sandstone cliffs, this shingle cove near Torquay has been awarded a Blue Flag for 36 consecutive years. Water is consistently found to be excellent and facilities include a café and toilets (which helps to keep the sea clean).

East Strand, Portrush, Northern Ireland

This two-mile stretch of golden beach backed by sand dunes on the eastern side of the Portrush Peninsula is a popular spot. East Strand is one of eight beaches in Northern Ireland with a Blue Flag and is monitored by RNLI lifeguards every day between late June and early September.

Whitesands Beach, St Davids, Wales

There are currently 25 Blue Flag beaches in Wales, many in Pembrokeshire. Whitesands is among the most popular: west-facing, with a large expanse of sand, this beach is one of the best for surfing in Wales. A slipway provides easy access and beach-friendly wheelchairs are available for hire too.

Lunan Bay, Angus, Scotland

Scotland uses its own ratings system, with 53 beaches having been given a Scottish Beach Award for cleanliness. East-facing Lunan Bay is one of these, a secluded haven between Arbroath and Montrose with two miles of pristine sand backed by dunes and overlooked by the ruins of Red Castle.

North Bay Beach, Scarborough, North Yorkshire

Away from the road and backed by a promenade lined with brightly coloured beach huts, long, sandy North Bay Beach regularly attains Blue Flag status. Rocky outcrops at the north end of the beach provide the perfect hunting ground for rock pooling, while the gentle sloping sand and clear water make it great for swimming.

Polzeath, Cornwall

One of nine Blue Flag beaches in Cornwall, Polzeath is a deep sandy stretch on the north coast and a haven for surfers, body-boarders and families. The beach is easily accessible and locals and tourists carry out regular beach cleans.