Málaga's Reservoirs Enter July Free of Restrictions, With Beach Showers Back On

Málaga enters July, right in the middle of the summer travel rush, without a single restriction on drinking water — including showers at the beach. The province's reservoirs stand at 92.8% of capacity, their highest level in nearly 14 years. Reservoirs such as Limonero, Guadalteba, and Guadalhorce are already close to 100% full, confirming the optimistic forecasts made back in late February.

A year ago, Málaga's seven reservoirs held just over 360 cubic hectometers combined; today they hold 560, a 55% increase in just twelve months. That margin is what has allowed authorities to lift all the restrictions that were in place during the summer of 2025. The comparison looks even more striking when set against two summers ago, when the province came close to bringing in drinking water from outside the Costa del Sol due to the severity of the drought.

La Viñuela: From "Dead Reservoir" to 91.5% Full

The most dramatic turnaround belongs to La Viñuela, the province's largest reservoir. In early 2024 its situation was so critical that it was officially classified as a "dead reservoir." Subsequent rainfall allowed it to reach July 2025 with 80 cubic hectometers, and this summer it has already surpassed 150 cubic hectometers — 91.5% of its capacity. A similar recovery can be seen in the other two Guadalhorce river reservoirs.

Of the province's seven reservoirs, only La Concepción currently holds less water than it did a year ago: 48.5 cubic hectometers versus 55 in July 2025. Casasola also shows a lower percentage, though not because of a lack of water — the regional government (Junta de Andalucía) has lowered its authorized maximum capacity for technical reasons; under that new 12-cubic-hectometer cap, it now sits at 52%.

Limonero Also Outperforms Last Year's Figures

The Limonero reservoir, which supplies the provincial capital, is nearly at full capacity, holding 15.3 cubic hectometers compared with 13.7 on July 1, 2025. The biggest gains, however, belong to the Guadalhorce river reservoirs that are nearing full capacity: Guadalteba has climbed from 82 to 151.5 cubic hectometers, and Guadalhorce from 58 to 124.

Less Rainfall Than in 2025, Despite the Strong Reservoir Levels

Full reservoirs don't necessarily mean more rain fell this year. In fact, not a single reservoir in the province has recorded more accumulated rainfall over the past ten months than it did in the previous hydrological year:

• La Concepción: around 770 liters per square meter, down from nearly 815 in 2025.
• Middle stretch of the Guadalhorce river: down from about 610 liters to just over 450.
• La Viñuela: down from nearly 600 liters to just over 510.
• Limonero: down from 516 liters per square meter in July 2025 to under 350 this year.
• Casasola: down from nearly 600 liters to just under 415.

Local, regional, and national authorities are all sending the same message: the improvement shouldn't lead to complacency, since drought conditions could return.

Winter Reservoir Releases Already Pointed to a Calm Summer

Back in late February, when several reservoirs were already at technical full capacity ahead of new rain fronts, water management experts predicted this summer would look nothing like the situation two years earlier, when urgent, costly measures were needed to soften the impact of water restrictions — particularly for park and garden irrigation and for irrigated farmland in areas like the Axarquía.

Within the first few weeks of the year, the province had all but returned to technical full capacity across its reservoirs for the first time in 13 years. The most symbolic case was La Viñuela, which two years earlier held barely 7% of its capacity and forced authorities to rely heavily on reclaimed water to keep afloat an economic lifeline for the eastern Axarquía region: avocado and mango farming.

Reference sources: La Opinión de Málaga – Reservoirs at record highs (February 2026), La Opinión de Málaga – February 2026 reservoir releases, La Opinión de Málaga – Reservoirs near 90% (February 2026)