Playa Del Garraf Pm1

Spain Coastal 1 - Excellent

Platja del Garraf is a sandy beach located in the urban municipality of Sitges in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The beach is situated near the Garraf Natural Park and has a high occupancy rate during summer months. It is bounded to the northeast by a small cliff (Punta dels Corrals) and to the southwest by Port del Garraf. The beach has a mean width of 29 metres, a length of 345 metres, and a very steep water entry slope.

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Water

Mediterranean Sea. Water body type C23 (sandy shallow water with low continental influence). Surface area: 10,532 square metres. Medium sediment (D50 = 0.32 mm). Average salinity: 37.0–38.6 psu. Water temperatures: June 21.1 °C, July 24.5 °C, August 25.4 °C, September 24.3 °C. Significant wave height 0.74 m, mean period 6 seconds, most frequent direction SSW. Predominant wind direction: NW (weak). Predominant sea state: rippled. General circulation is cyclonic with a current parallel to the continental coast.

Location

Sitges, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The beach is within the municipality of Sitges (population 27,668 inhabitants). Precise location: UTM coordinates X:408325; Y:4567751.

Season

First week of June to third week of September. Microbiological monitoring occurs weekly (every Saturday) over 17 consecutive weeks. Environmental inspections occur a minimum of 3 times per week.

Water Quality

Water quality is monitored under the Bathing Water Directive 2006/7/CE. Microbiological indicators monitored are Escherichia coli and intestinal enterococci. Environmental inspections assess water transparency, colour, human-origin floating solids, marine and terrestrial plant remains, foam, phytoplankton patches, hydrocarbons, and jellyfish presence. The beach is served by the Sitges-Garraf wastewater treatment system with a single EDAR (biological treatment facility) discharging directly to the coast at a rocky zone at the southern end of the beach.

Risks

The Garraf stream constitutes the main freshwater input, discharging to the bathing zone only during rain conditions. The area has a high hydrological response velocity index (VRH) to rainfall episodes. The ACA operates a phytoplankton proliferation control programme to detect potentially toxic algal blooms; most proliferations form coloured patches without risk to swimmers. Jellyfish presence is monitored during the bathing season.