The Playa do Lago on Lago de As Pontes in As Pontes de García Rodríguez has once again received the award in 2026 Blue Flag. The municipality and the regional administration point to monitored water quality and the infrastructure standards required for the international environmental award. The beach beside the artificial lake is therefore officially designated as a bathing area again this swimming season.
The lake was created from the central coal mine in the province of A Coruña, which began to be systematically flooded in January 2008; according to the authorities, the process was completed in April 2012. The operator and project partners, including Endesa and the municipality, accompanied the flooding with restoration work along the shores, afforestation and the creation of a sandy beach. The water area now covers several hundred hectares and is considered Spain’s largest artificial lake created from an open-cast mine.
The continued award of the Bandera Azul (Blue Flag) is also an economic signal. The municipality promotes Lago de As Pontes as a recreational area with a beach, walking routes and viewpoints; the region’s tourist information services list Playa do Lago as an official bathing beach. Its location between the industrial site and natural areas such as nearby Fragas do Eume reinforces the ambition to combine industrial heritage with landscape conservation.
Scientific observations also point to the young lake’s complex hydrochemistry. Monitoring data describe pronounced vertical stratification with a chemocline: deeper water layers are anoxic and have a lower pH than surface layers. The authorities and operator cite ongoing monitoring and measures to ensure that the beach zone remains suitable for bathing. These checks distinguish reliable measurements from targets; claims about long-term ecological trends remain provisional and require further independent assessment.
For the region, the transformation marks a profound change. Where coal was mined for decades, water and newly landscaped shores now shape the local landscape. This creates opportunities for recreation and new sources of income, but also leaves the administration and operator with the task of ensuring that use, safety and water protection remain in balance over the long term. The renewed Blue Flag in 2026 confirms the standard achieved at the bathing beach, but does not replace the necessary long-term monitoring of the entire lake.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).