Cadiz province is in a race against time to repair its beaches for Easter after suffering millions of euros worth of damage due to recent severe weather.

A carousel of Atlantic storms in January and February brought repeatedly strong waves, wind and heavy rainfall, which reshaped sections of the coastline that attract thousands of visitors every year.

With the vital Easter season approaching several municipalities are working urgently to repair the damage.

‘We don’t know how things will look by spring and summer, but for now the damage to our coastline is quite significant,’ said Dolores de Melo, the Beaches councillor at Vejer de la Frontera town hall.

The situation is clearly visible along El Palmar beach, where some access paths have turned into small ravines, walkways have disappeared and protective dune fencing has been torn out and scattered along the shore.

Beyond the damage to infrastructure, officials say the storms have also altered the physical profile of several beaches.

‘As a result of erosion, in some areas the sand has been washed away and the rocky base underneath is now exposed, making it difficult for people to walk,’ De Melo explained.

‘In some places a drop of more than three metres has formed.’

In El Palmar, which lies within the municipality of Vejer, the official summer beach season is scheduled to begin on June 16. However, the beach is usually prepared ahead of Easter to accommodate early visitors.

‘This time we’ll try to tidy things up, although there are problems we won’t be able to solve quickly, such as replacing the walkways or restoring the beach profile,’ the councillor said.

‘We are pushing to meet with the coastal authority to see how repairs can be carried out as soon as possible, but at the moment we have neither a date nor a budget.’

Millions in damage across Cadiz

Authorities say the problems extend far beyond a single municipality.

‘It’s clear that beaches are not in their best condition. And it’s not just Cadiz – the entire coastline from Huelva to here has been affected,’ said Jose Carlos Teruel, Cadiz city council’s Beaches delegate.

The city government has submitted a report to the Junta de Andalucia estimating the damage to Cadiz’s coastline at around €1.5 million.

Officials are hoping that Spain’s coastal authority will help replenish sand along affected areas before Easter.

‘I’m confident we’ll manage to get the beaches ready for people to enjoy them during Easter,’ Teruel said.

The local branch of the Popular Party has also pushed through a unanimous motion in the city council calling for cooperation from both the Junta and Madrid to help restore the coastline before the tourism season begins.

Rota also facing extensive repairs

Further along the coast in Rota, the situation is similar. Storms that struck Andalucia during the first months of 2026 caused ‘serious damage across practically the entire coastline’, according to the town council.

Jose Antonio Medina, the councillor responsible for beaches, said access points, walkways and beach facilities had all suffered significant damage.

This has dramatically increased the workload normally carried out each year in preparation for the beach season, which traditionally begins during Easter.

‘The priority right now is ensuring the coastline can offer the main services visitors expect during the holiday period,”’Medina said.

However, he warned that some access points could still be under construction or repair due to the scale of the destruction.

In response to the widespread damage, Spain’s central government has announced €6.2 million in emergency funding to restore beaches across Cadiz province.

The works, approved by the State Secretariat for the Environment and carried out by the Andalucía-Atlantic coastal authority, will include sand replenishment and the repair of damaged public access routes.

The funding will benefit 11 municipalities: Sanlucar de Barrameda, Conil de la Frontera, Chipiona, Rota, Chiclana de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz, San Fernando, Vejer de la Frontera, Barbate and Tarifa.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.