On the beach
Right now
Sample dataIllustrative conditions — the live Open-Meteo marine feed wasn't reachable, so these are deterministic placeholder values that will be replaced automatically once the feed is available.
7-day outlook
Sample dataModeled placeholder forecast for demonstration — will be replaced by a live marine-weather feed.
Sea temperature
Next 7 days, °C
Wave height
Next 7 days, metres
View as table
| Day | Sea temp (°C) | Wave height (m) |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 2 | 23.7 | 0.3 |
| Thu 3 | 24.1 | 0.3 |
| Fri 4 | 24.1 | 0.3 |
| Sat 5 | 23.6 | 0.3 |
| Sun 6 | 23.1 | 0.3 |
| Mon 7 | 22.9 | 0.3 |
| Tue 8 | 23.2 | 0.3 |
Water quality history
Official EEA classification, one rating per bathing season, 2015–2025 — real data reported by national authorities.
- 2015: Excellent2015
- 2016: Excellent2016
- 2017: Excellent2017
- 2018: Excellent2018
- 2019: Excellent2019
- 2020: Excellent2020
- 2021: Excellent2021
- 2022: Excellent2022
- 2023: Excellent2023
- 2024: Excellent2024
- 2025: Excellent2025
Excellent in the most recent season, and 11 of 11 classified years rated Excellent or Good.
- Excellent
- Good
- Sufficient
- Poor
- Not classified
View as table
| Year | Classification |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Excellent |
| 2016 | Excellent |
| 2017 | Excellent |
| 2018 | Excellent |
| 2019 | Excellent |
| 2020 | Excellent |
| 2021 | Excellent |
| 2022 | Excellent |
| 2023 | Excellent |
| 2024 | Excellent |
| 2025 | Excellent |
Typical sea temperature by month
Modeled estimatePlausible seasonal climatology derived from latitude, for illustration — not a measured average.
Monthly sea temperature
Typical range across the year, °C
View as table
| Month | Typical sea temp (°C) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 17 |
| Feb | 16 |
| Mar | 17 |
| Apr | 19 |
| May | 21 |
| Jun | 24 |
| Jul | 26 |
| Aug | 27 |
| Sep | 26 |
| Oct | 24 |
| Nov | 21 |
| Dec | 19 |
Location & nearby beaches
Nearby beaches
- Manantial Fuencaliente Orce40 kmGranada
- 43 km
- 48 km
- Playa Puerto Rey60 kmAlmería
Distances calculated as straight-line (haversine) from official coordinates.
Getting there & around
- No parking is mapped within 1.5 km of the beach — expect a walk, or arrive early once the season gets busy.
Food, stays & town
- Nearest village: Tíjola, about ~3.3 km away.
- 6 places to eat within 1 km Closest is Restaurante Manantial de Cela, about ~10 m away.
- 1 place to stay mapped nearby Closest is Hotel Boutique Manantial de Cela, about ~10 m away.
What kind of beach is this?
This beach belongs to a small coastal village. It's usually calmer than a resort or town beach, though a popular village spot can still fill up on the best summer days.
Estimated from OpenStreetMap surroundings data (ODbL).
Is the water clean at Balsa Cela L?car?
Balsa Cela L?car sits on a stretch of coast classed as a river bathing site, carrying an official EU Bathing Water rating of Excellent for the 2025 season. Under the EU Bathing Water Directive, national authorities test for intestinal enterococci and E. coli through the season and report the results the following spring — the 2025 rating was published in spring 2026, and 2026's won't follow until spring 2027. In addition to that yearly rating, some national authorities — for Croatia, the national environmental authority — publish individual water sample results during the season itself, ahead of the annual report. It sits in Almería.
Looking to avoid the busiest weeks? The water is typically warmest around August, with the most reliable swimming window running July–September; outside that stretch you'll find a cooler sea but a quieter beach. That rating has been consistent: every one of the 11 classified seasons on record has come back Excellent or Good. On site you'll find Restaurant. Tíjola — the closest town — sits about ~3.3 km from here.
“Excellent” is one point on a four-step scale — Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor — assigned once per year from that season's water samples, not a live reading. It describes how the site performs on average across the season, not the exact water quality this afternoon; for day-to-day sea conditions, see the “Right now” and 7-day outlook panels above. There are 6 places to eat within a kilometre — Restaurante Manantial de Cela is the closest, about ~10 m away.
Frequently asked questions
Is the water at Balsa Cela L?car safe right now?
Yes. Its official 2025 EU Bathing Water rating is Excellent, the top classification, and 11 of the 11 classified seasons on record have rated Excellent or Good. It's also held steady at Excellent for 11 straight years.
Is the sea warm at Balsa Cela L?car today?
The panel above shows a sample value of around 24°C. This is placeholder data shown because a live marine-weather feed wasn't reachable — it will be replaced automatically once the feed is available. That's the reading right off Almería.
What's the best month to visit Balsa Cela L?car for swimming?
The most reliable stretch for warm water runs through July–September, based on the modeled climatology. That applies to the water around Almería.
What's behind the water quality rating shown above?
The grade comes from a full season of official sampling for intestinal enterococci and E. coli, reported to the European Environment Agency each spring under the EU Bathing Water Directive, which assigns Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor. Some countries (Croatia, via IZOR) also publish individual in-season samples ahead of that report; Balsa Cela L?car doesn't have that feed yet.
How do you get to Balsa Cela L?car?
There's no parking mapped within 1.5 km of Balsa Cela L?car, so plan on a walk, or arrive early once it gets busy. The nearest town is Tíjola, about ~3.3 km away.