Bathing water quality
What is measured in beach water, how it is classified and where to find the results for your beach.
Key points
- During the bathing season, health authorities test the water at official bathing sites.
- Two bacteria that indicate faecal pollution are measured: intestinal enterococci and Escherichia coli.
- Using four seasons of results, each site is rated excellent, good, sufficient or poor.
- The results for each point are published on Náyade, run by the Spanish Ministry of Health.
Which rules apply
Bathing water quality across the European Union is governed by Directive 2006/7/EC, applied in Spain by Royal Decree 1341/2007. The regional governments take samples at each sampling point during the bathing season and send the data to the Ministry of Health, which publishes it on the Náyade system.
How it is classified
The rating takes into account the results of the last four seasons, not a single test. So an «excellent» site can have an occasional bad result on a given day, in which case swimming is discouraged or temporarily banned.
Bathing water quality classes
Spain and Europe
According to the European Environment Agency report on the 2025 season, published in June 2026, 85 % of Europe's more than 22,200 bathing sites have excellent quality (88 % of coastal and 78 % of inland sites) and 96 % meet at least the minimum standard. Figures for each country, including Spain, are available in the report and the Agency's viewer.
Where to check your beach
- Open NáyadeThe Ministry of Health's bathing water information system.
- Find the townEach bathing site has one or more sampling points.
- Check the latest testsAnd the rating for the previous season.
- Look for noticesTemporary swimming bans are announced on the beach.
After heavy rain
Heavy rain can wash pollution into the sea or rivers for a day or two. If it has rained a lot, take extra care and check the council's notices.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I check the water quality of a Spanish beach?
On Náyade, the Spanish Ministry of Health's bathing water information system, which publishes the sampling results for each point during the season.
What does «excellent» mean?
It is the best of the four categories in the EU Bathing Water Directive, based on microbiological tests (intestinal enterococci and E. coli) over the last four seasons.