Málaga’s beaches wake up covered in rubbish after San Juan Night

Málaga’s beaches presented a very different picture on the morning after San Juan Night. Following an evening of bonfires, music and large crowds along the coast, several beaches woke up covered in bags, containers, bottles, cans and other waste abandoned on the sand.

The busiest areas, including La Misericordia and La Malagueta beaches, accumulated much of the rubbish generated during one of the most popular celebrations marking the start of summer.

While some of the last groups were still leaving the beach at sunrise, municipal cleaning teams were already working to restore the coastline to its usual condition.

More than 200 workers deployed from early morning

The special cleaning operation began at 5:30 am on Wednesday 24 June. The aim was to ensure that beaches and public spaces were ready to welcome swimmers again by 10:00 am.

A total of 227 workers were involved in the operation. Of these, 156 formed part of the specific San Juan reinforcement team, joining the 71 workers who make up the regular summer beach maintenance service.

The work focused on manually collecting waste, emptying bins and containers, cleaning the sand and restoring promenades, access points and landscaped areas.

A fleet of 75 vehicles to restore the coastline

The operation also involved 75 vehicles, combining the usual municipal resources with additional equipment deployed specifically for San Juan.

The fleet included tractors, beach-cleaning machines, pressure washers, water tankers and waste collection vehicles. This machinery was used to remove larger items, sift the sand and clean the areas most affected by the celebrations.

Before the event, the City Council installed 40 containers with a capacity of 1,000 litres and 330 smaller bins of 50 litres along the coastline. However, the amount of rubbish found outside these collection points has once again raised concerns about people leaving their waste directly on the beach.

La Malagueta and La Misericordia among the worst-affected areas

La Misericordia, where Málaga’s main San Juan celebration took place, became one of the priority areas for the cleaning operation because of the large number of people who gathered there.

La Malagueta also woke up with considerable amounts of waste scattered across the sand and surrounding promenade. In both locations, workers had to intervene before the arrival of the first morning beachgoers.

The cleaning reinforcement covered the entire coastline of Málaga city, from Peñón del Cuervo to La Malagueta and from Huelin to the beaches of Guadalmar.

Parks and Gardens teams also started work earlier than usual to inspect the green spaces, beach oases and landscaped areas located near the shoreline.

An image that revives the debate over public responsibility

The accumulation of waste after San Juan once again highlights the challenge of keeping beaches clean during major public celebrations.

Before the event, Málaga City Council had launched an awareness campaign reminding residents and visitors to collect their rubbish and use the containers provided. Despite this, a significant amount of waste was still left behind on the sand.

The work carried out by cleaning teams allows the beaches to recover within a few hours, but the images seen after the celebration once again raise questions about individual responsibility. Enjoying San Juan Night and protecting the coastline should not be incompatible.

The figures regarding the cleaning operation, deployed staff and working hours were published in an official statement by Málaga City Council.