Four Days after Storm, Blue Flag Beach Cala Estaca still Awash With Debris

Four days after a heavy storm, Cala Estaca beach on the Orihuela Costa coast remains littered with debris, including reeds, logs, and plastic. The municipal council has dispatched crews to clear beaches throughout the municipality, but the situation at Cala Estaca, also known as Playa Flamenca, is particularly dire. Visitors have discovered the sand strewn with rubbish and vegetation, raising concerns about the beach's condition.

Plastic, reeds, logs, and other debris have accumulated where the Cañada de la Estaca stream flows into the sea. One resident described the beach as being in an "incredibly bad" condition, noting that it had never looked this way before.

The storm dumped approximately 70 litres of rain per square metre on parts of the Orihuela coastline, contributing to the runoff that carried litter and vegetation towards the cove. While the stream is typically dry, intense downpours can cause it to carry large volumes of water, leading to the accumulation of waste in local watercourses.

The beach, renowned for its golden sand, bathing waters, and several tourism and environmental quality certifications, regained its Blue Flag status in 2025 after losing it the previous year due to pollution and unknown discharges. Orihuela’s street cleaning and waste service is working to restore all 11 municipal beaches affected by the storm, employing manual cleaning, removing washed-up material, and using machinery to sift and move sand.