Shifting sands - Beneath Catalonia’s coastal changes

As the weather gets warmer, more and more people will want to go to the beach. But lately, some of the beaches in Catalonia have looked quite different. 

In some places, the beaches look like they have been swallowed by the sea. The reason for this is the recent storm Nelson, which hit the Catalan coast during this past Easter. Nelson caused an unprecedented loss of sand on some of Catalonia’s beaches, in some cases reducing the width of the beach by 25 meters. 

However, this phenomenon is not new and is becoming more and more frequent due to climate change. 

Recent data show that two-thirds of the Catalan coastline has receded in the last seven decades.

At the same time, other beaches have grown as a result of the construction of more ports or the expansion of beaches.

Cillian Shields joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to talk about the state of Catalonia’s beaches and coastline.

We talk to Gonzalo Simarro, a beach scientist at the Marine Sciences Institute, about the impact of storms on Catalan beaches. We also hear from Jordi Pinyol of the Geological and Cartographic Institute of Catalonia, who explains how the Catalan coastline is evolving.

On a lighter note, we also share beach recommendations, from the rocky and picturesque up on Costa Brava, to the fun Barcelona beaches, or the family-friendly Costa Daurada, as well as the windy Terres de l’Ebre.

The Catalan phrase of the week is “Hi ha mar de fons,” which literally means “there is a groundswell,” and is an expression used to express that there is tension or bad vibes.