Close to 1.4 million euros has been invested in the service, which will also be repeated next year
Añádenos en Google Presentation of the beach cleaning service. (SUR)Torremolinos
10/06/2026 a las 21:45h.A total of fifteen cleaning boats have been deployed along the Malaga coastline, stretching from Torremolinos to Marbella, following the activation of the coastal water- ... cleaning service for the current campaign and the 2027 financial year.
The fleet consists of four coastal boats that operate up to six nautical miles offshore, collecting floating and semi-submerged solids as well as hydrocarbons, grease and foam. Each has a minimum storage capacity of five cubic metres for solids and five cubic metres for liquids.
A further 11 nearshore vessels operate from the shoreline to a distance of half a nautical mile, focusing on bathing areas, coves and hard-to-access locations. These boats have a one cubic metre capacity and are fitted with ecological outboard motors.
In addition, containers with a seven-cubic-metre capacity have been installed in fishing ports as a preventive measure against illegal dumping at sea.
Operations run from 1 June to 31 August, seven days a week, with weekday hours set at 8am to 4pm and weekend and public holiday hours from 10am to 6pm.
Two-year commitment
The service is run by the Mancomunidad supramunicipal body for the western Costa del Sol and is funded in part by participating municipalities, which contribute 40 per cent of its total 1.4-million-euro budget. These municipalities include Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Mijas, Marbella, Estepona, Casares and Manilva.
José Antonio Mena, vice-president of the Mancomunidad, said the service is being activated for two full seasons for the first time, which he said "guarantees greater operational stability, better technical planning and improved use of human and material resources".
He added that despite rising costs linked to inflation, fuel and maintenance, municipal contributions have remained unchanged, with the Mancomunidad absorbing the additional expense.
Francisco Cerdán, tourism and beaches delegate, said the boats will also conduct water analyses, particularly near underwater outfalls, with the data used to develop strategies and refine techniques to improve water quality along the Costa del Sol.