Four Days after Storm, Blue Flag Beach Cala Estaca still Awash With Debris

Reeds, logs and plastic have washed onto Cala Estaca, where a normally dry stream meets the sea. The council says crews are working to clear beaches across the municipality.

Visitors to Cala Estaca, also known as Playa Flamenca, and one of the blue flag jewels of Orihuela Costa, have found the sand strewn with rubbish and vegetation four days after heavy rain swept across Orihuela Costa.

Plastic, reeds, logs and other debris have accumulated where the Cañada de la Estaca flows into the sea. One beachfront resident described the beach as being in an “incredibly bad” condition and said he had never seen it like this before.

Saturday’s storm brought around 70 litres of rain per square metre to parts of the Orihuela coastline. Although the stream is dry for much of the year, it can carry large volumes of water during intense downpours. Run-off from roads and built-up areas inland adds to the flow, washing vegetation and litter towards the cove.

The condition of the beach has renewed residents’ concerns about waste collecting in local watercourses and eventually reaching the sea. Cala Estaca is usually promoted for its golden sand and bathing waters and holds several tourism and environmental quality certifications. It regained its Blue Flag in 2025 after losing the award the previous year following concerns about pollution and discharges of unknown origin.

Orihuela’s street cleaning and waste service said crews were working to restore all 11 municipal beaches affected by the storm. The operation includes manual cleaning, removing material washed ashore and using machinery to sift and move sand.

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