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As thousands of Britons prepare to book their holidays, some beaches in Spain are faced with an unusual problem
14:50, Mon, Jan 19, 2026 Updated: 14:55, Mon, Jan 19, 2026
A sea report has warned of faecal matter near popular Spanish beaches (stock) (Image: Getty)
While it may only be January thousands of Britons may be considering where to go on holiday this summer. One of the most popular options is often Spain, specifically Balearic Islands, that include the likes of Majorca and Palma among their group.
However, this year there may be a thorn in the side of holidaymakers plans, after a new report exposed the horrifying scale of contamination on some of the region’s most famous beaches.
"Faecal contamination" was mentioned as part of the Balearic Sea Report 2026 which, for the first time, included a section on beaches and highlighted their declining quality in the region.
Not all the beaches are as badly affected by the poo as others (stock) (Image: Getty)
It was reported by Informa Mar Balear that the quality of the bathing water had declined significantly since 2010 with more urban beaches showing even poorer results.
What’s more, the number of incidents involving microbiological contamination doubled last year from 46 to 92. Of these incidents, 20 were bathing bans and the other 72 were recommendations against bathing.
The areas that were most affected by these incidents of faecal contamination were the likes of Ciutadella, Santanyí, Calvià, and Sóller. It wasn’t all bad, however, with the report highlighting how Formentera and Menorca had the best bathing water quality.
The report concluded its chapter on beaches by calling for continued monitoring and the expansion of information how to use the beach to beach users.
As well as faecal problems, this isn’t the only matter that may be of concern to holidaymakers as they prepare to jet off later this year, with a major hotelier in Majorca warning that it was “full capacity”.
The warning came from, Joan Trian Riu, the managing director of Riu Hotels and Resorts who said his firm was also increasing prices in reaction to increased demand and warned that things would only get worse for locals.
Speaking to the Majorca Daily Bulletin about the matter, he said: "We're at full capacity, and the only thing you can do is raise prices. Majorca is a limited territory, and we know what happens during the peak tourist season.
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"We are also seeing traditional shops in [capital city] Palma or in towns disappearing and being replaced by international franchises or by places where they serve you avocado toast, which is more of the same.
“Society largely agrees on these problems, but bold decisions need to be made…. What's clear is that if we do nothing, this won't be sustainable.”
English (US) · 