Mosquitoes on Barcelona's beaches: the stagnant water problem

Barcelona's coastline feels third-world because of the mosquitoes

The beaches south of Barcelona are suffering a mosquito plague this summer that has given rise to the word 'third-world'. In Castelldefels, the town marketed as the Miami of Barcelona, a simple walk across the sand is enough to come back with legs and ankles covered in bites. Those who compare it with the beaches of the north are astonished: there, nobody even thinks about insect repellent.

The diagnosis: stagnant water

The technical diagnosis is no mystery: stagnant water. Pools collecting in gutters, drains and damp spots along the coast have turned the area into a breeding ground. It is the same old cause, and the authorities do not seem to have taken note. 'Stagnant water', the technicians sum up, although the municipal authorities have yet to tackle the source.

A coastline at two speeds

The curious thing about this episode is that the 'Miami of Barcelona' is thus revealing an uncomfortable gap. A coastline of high property value tolerates what would not be tolerated in other parts of the country, and the comparison with the northern beaches has become a gauge of how well the area is being managed.

The anecdote comes from someone who claimed to prefer the mosquitoes of his childhood to the smokers who now infest the river pools. There is repellent against bites; there is none against smoke.

With the stagnant water still untreated, the next heatwave will bring more mosquitoes and more complaints. Unless the town councils act, the Miami of Warcelona will keep looking like a jungle. Though perhaps, with tourism piling on the pressure, embarrassment will finally end the neglect.