The Community of Madrid has launched a surveillance campaign to prevent swimming in protected areas of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park. The primary objective is twofold: to safeguard public safety and ensure compliance with environmental regulations, thereby protecting the area's valuable flora and fauna.
The regional government reminds the public that only five natural spaces in the region are authorized for swimming. These include the river beaches of Las Presillas (Rascafría), Los Villares (Estremera), Playa del Alberche (Aldea del Fresno), and El Muro and Virgen de la Nueva (San Martín de Valdeiglesias). At these designated locations, water quality is periodically analyzed throughout the summer season.
The beaches of El Muro and Virgen de la Nueva will feature a daily control unit operating from June 24th to September 10th. This team, comprising medical personnel from SUMMA112 and the Red Cross, will have an increased presence on weekends. Regulations highlight the dangers of entering unauthorized waters, ranging from drowning to injuries, heatstroke, burns, and exposure to viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites.
In other areas, including the stretch of the Manzanares river from its source in Ventisquero de la Condesa to its mouth at the Santillana reservoir (municipality of Manzanares El Real), swimming is strictly forbidden. This measure aims to protect the environment, facilitate ecological restoration, and recover the natural values of the upper Manzanares river course.
Special surveillance will be implemented in La Pedriza, where patrols from the Body of Forest Agents, the Civil Guard, and the Local Police will monitor areas with high visitor numbers. Controls will be conducted on random days, with particular attention to the pools within La Pedriza, complementing the daily monitoring by forest agents.
During the initial weeks, controls will be informative. However, as the summer progresses, official fines will be issued to those who violate the prohibition. Last year, forest agents issued 20 such citations, carrying fines ranging from 300 to 3,000 euros.
