Spain's coastline faces unprecedented fragility, Greenpeace warns

Greenpeace’s new report “Destrucción a Toda Costa 2026” warns that Spain’s 7,900 km of shoreline is in a state of unprecedented fragility. The study identifies 194 critical points where urban expansion—doubling coastal built‑up to 13.1 % in three decades—combined with sea‑level rise and more intense storms threatens beaches and ecosystems.

More than 100 beaches required artificial sand replenishment in 2026, at a cost of €246 million, with 70 % of the funding spent in the Valencian Community and nearly 20 % in Andalusia. The report flags the Ebro Delta, the Doñana marshes, La Manga del Mar Menor, Camposoto and the Maspalomas coast as the most vulnerable.

Regional sections of the report highlight eight high‑risk sites in Almería, 19 vulnerable zones on the Galician coast, ten critical points in the Balearics, and significant urban‑planning pressures on the Canary Islands, especially Lanzarote. Greenpeace calls for nature‑based coastal management, a halt to new construction in flood‑prone zones, and relocation of exposed infrastructure.