The beach at El Reducto in Arrecife has been closed to swimmers again after a new case of water contamination was detected. The town hall has raised a red flag and banned swimming for safety while the source of the issue is investigated. This closure comes shortly after services for sunbeds and umbrellas were resumed at the beach, which had only reopened on 7 August following favourable health assessments.
The earlier closure, prompted by contamination detected in late July, revealed the presence of faecal bacteria in water samples from Punta del Camello. A sample taken on 27 July recorded 6,300 colony-forming units of Escherichia coli per 100 millilitres, significantly above the safe limit of 500.
Punta del Camello is near a sewage outfall operated by the Lanzarote Water Consortium. In response to the July incident, the Arrecife town hall requested a review of the sewage system to clarify the source of the discharges.
The latest closure came just a day after sunbeds and umbrellas were set up at the beach, as reported by local media.
The municipal PSOE group has criticized the Arrecife government over the contamination issue. Socialists’ councillor Cristina Duque has called into question the town’s management and linked the latest swimming ban to prior contamination problems.
The PSOE claims that since the first closure starting on 14 October 2025, El Reducto has been closed for swimming for 179 days compared to 165 days when swimming was allowed. These figures have not been independently verified. The beach had previously been closed for several months between late 2025 and early 2026 before experiencing restrictions again over the summer.
