León province publishes approved swimming sites as historic thermal spring town stays idle

The regional health authority of Castilla y León released its 2025 summer report listing the officially permitted bathing locations across the province. Rivers such as the Órbigo are authorized at three municipalities – Llamas de la Rivera, Quintanilla de Sollamas and Cimanes del Tejar – while other sites in the Bercian area, including the Boeza, Cúa, Ancares and Meruelo rivers, received mixed water‑quality ratings ranging from insufficient to good. The Confederación Hidrográfica del Duero warned swimmers to avoid unauthorized spots after a recent drowning in Zamora, urging respect for signage, proper footwear and temperature awareness.

Meanwhile, the small Leonese village of Morgovejo, once famed for its 37 °C sulfurous thermal spring that earned it the nickname “Spanish Evian,” remains without tourist activity. The spring, historically praised for skin, rheumatic and respiratory benefits, operated as a balneario from the 19th century until its closure in the 1970s. The historic building stands abandoned, and the spring continues to be part of the village’s identity despite no current exploitation.