Date Published: 05/06/2026

Murcia boosts beach safety with 81 monitored beaches this summer

Copla Plan will deploy nearly 300 staff and 140 surveillance points across the region’s coastline

Murcia is stepping up beach safety this summer, with the Copla Plan set to monitor 81 beaches across the region’s eight coastal municipalities.

The operation will cover around 250 kilometres of coastline, stretching from El Mojón on the Alicante border to Cala Reona in Cartagena, close to the border with Almería. It will include lifeguard and rescue stations at 140 points in Águilas, Lorca, Mazarrón, Cartagena, La Unión, Los Alcázares, San Javier and San Pedro del Pinatar.

Nearly 300 professionals will take part in the operation, including lifeguards, boat captains, medical staff and coordinators. Regional government spokesperson Marisa López Aragón said the plan is about much more than numbers.

"Behind these numbers lies something very important: peace of mind for families, the capacity to respond to emergencies, and also human support," she said after the Governing Council meeting.

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The regional government will put €725,000 into the scheme this year, the same amount as in 2025, to subsidise coastal municipalities. It will also provide another €188,113 to the Red Cross so rescue boats can continue operating from permanent bases in San Pedro del Pinatar, Cartagena, Mazarrón and Águilas.

Although the Copla Plan works all year, it steps up significantly during the summer months. The high-risk period runs from July 1 to August 31, while June and September are classed as medium-risk months. The rest of the year is considered low risk.

Last summer, the plan carried out 35,508 interventions. Of those, 23,743 were not emergencies, but information and social assistance tasks, including helping people with reduced mobility get onto the beach or into the water, and supporting searches for missing people.

There were also 10,978 minor first-aid treatments and almost 787 rescues involving people, boats and floating objects, as well as care for people suffering from drowning or cardiac arrest.

López Aragón said the regional government remains committed to a coastline that is "safe, accessible and prepared", especially at a time of year when the population of the coastal towns grows sharply.

You might also be interested in: Murcia's beaches fall short on accessibility for people with reduced mobility

Image: Ayuntamiento de Cartagena

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