Salou. Costa Dorada. 17 June 2025.
The sea, the beach, the sun and the sea breeze are desired in summer to enjoy the holidays and the moments of leisure and rest. But that is not enough. Having these elements to offer the neighbors and visitors is not enough, and that is why the municipality of Salou has been working for a long time to go to the beach is an unforgettable experience, thanks to the protection of the natural environment and the services offered. That is why the beaches of Salou are sustainable, safe and healthy beaches, and that is why they are unique.
The mayor of Salou, Pere Granados, explained it very well within the framework of the National Day of the Alliance of Tourism Municipalities of Sol y Playa (AMT) in Madrid, when he said that "the tourist values more and more the destinations that take care of their natural environment. In Salou we are committed to authentic experiences combined with effective protection of the coastal strip and marine ecosystems”.
Sustainable beaches
As Granados explained, “the coast must stop being seen as a simple exploitable beach and start to be treated as an ecosystem that needs balance”. In this sense, he stressed that Salou promotes active conservation policies, such as the recovery of native vegetation, the renaturalization of the coast and the promotion of a tourism model respectful of the environment.
All this effort has had a prize: Salou has received for the first time the ECOMED seal, an annual certification that recognizes the commitment of municipalities to the conservation of the marine environment and the promotion of a sustainable coastal development model.
For the mayor of Salou, this recognition reinforces the commitment of the municipality to the protection of the landscape and marine biodiversity as strategic axes of its tourist development.
The ECOMED seal ceremony was accompanied by the return to the sea of the Maui turtle, a 7 kilos weight Caretta caretta sea turtle, which has returned to the sea after overcoming a two-and-a-half-month intensive recovery process at the Marine Animal Recovery Center (CRAM).
“This type of event helps us to raise awareness among the public and strengthen our commitment to the preservation of the marine environment”, said the mayor after the release of Maui, and recalled that the Levante beach is recognized with quality badges such as the Blue Flag, the Q of Quality and the ISO 14001, facts that show the good environmental status of the beaches of Salou.
In addition to working on the preservation of the natural environment of the beaches, and in the same line of environmental sustainability, Salou makes this summer 2025 a pilot test in the coves to replace some showers with footbaths. The objective is to promote the saving of drinking water and move towards a more efficient management of the coast.
The footbaths are equipped with timed buttons, which will allow a much more rational use of water, while taking advantage of existing infrastructures, such as bases and pipes. According to technical forecasts, the replacement will lead to an estimated saving of between 60 and 80% of water consumption, since the footbaths use between 2 and 5 litres per use, while a conventional shower can reach up to 30 litres.
This action represents a concrete example of environmental commitment and institutional responsibility in the scenario of drought and water scarcity that affects us. In addition, it is expected that, in a later phase, this model of saving and efficiency will be extended progressively to other beaches in Salou.
Healthy beaches
If the beaches of Salou are more sustainable, they will also be healthier and at this point the City Council of Salou still wants to influence more from another important area: public health. That is why the Consistory has expanded the smoke-free beach spaces, to promote healthier habits and to protect the environment.
Specifically, in 2025, two smoke-free spaces have been delimited on Levante beach: one of 2,191 square meters located in the area of callisthenics devices, and a second of 3,9111 square meters located in front of the municipal nursery and children's games on the beach.
These almost 6,000 square meters are added to the 11,709 square meters that were delimited to the Ponent beach last summer. This area is located around the rescue and lifeguard base, the callisthenics area and children's games.
In all these smoke-free beach areas of Salou, smoking and using devices that release nicotine, such as electronic cigarettes and "vapeers", is prohibited, both in the sand and in sea water.
This project is aligned with the new municipal ordinance of beaches, recently approved by the plenary of the City of Salou, which establishes the bases for responsible and civic management of the coast. The main objective of this standard is that the beaches are spaces for rest, recreation and coexistence, with a clear commitment to the protection of the environment and the quality of life of citizens and visitors.
Safe beaches
The other objective of the City of Salou regarding the beaches is safety. For this reason, each year the Beach Police Station of the Local Police is opened, located on Paseo Jaume I. With 25 agents that will be dedicated entirely to the surveillance of the beaches, the Police Station will be operational until October 1, with a service that will adapt to the evolution of the season.
In this sense, the mayor of Salou stressed that "Salou is a tourist municipality that receives more than two million visitors each year, not counting those of PortAventura. Our agents must generate trust and offer a service where people are always at the center, respecting the law and projecting the image of a hospitable, friendly and welcoming city”.
Last year, the beach police station attended 4,200 services, mainly related to the collection of complaints, lost objects, information and assistance to citizens.
The other essential safety element on the beaches of Salou is the rescue and lifeguard service, which ensures the safety of bathers. Pere Granados stressed that “services have been improved and surveillance has been extended with 6 or 7 more lifeguards”, in addition to having incorporated surveillance this year in two additional coves: Cala Vinya and Cala Font. “Our goal is to ensure that the swim experience in Salou is safe and quality. That is why we ask users to always respect the regulations and the flags, in order to avoid risk situations”, said the mayor.
To make the beaches even safer, this 2025, and as a novelty, a pilot test is carried out with the installation of smart lockers so that users of the beaches can deposit their objects and even load their mobile devices with USB and C type connections.
In total there are 115 compartments of different sizes (large, medium and small) with prices of 2 and 4 euros per day, depending on the size of the cabinet. The module has an electrical connection of 220V and photovoltaic panels, thus contributing to the sustainability of the service.
It will initially work from 7 am to 11 pm, a schedule that can be adapted according to the demand and the influx of users, since it wants to offer a safer, more comfortable beach experience adapted to the needs of users of the beaches of Salou.
