Spain · Biscay
Playa Armintza water quality
Is it clean? Generally yes, with a caveat
Playa Armintza's official 2025 rating is Sufficient — meets the minimum EU standard in the latest annual assessment. It's the minimum passing grade, so it's worth checking for posted local advisories before swimming.
11-year classification history
Official EEA classification, one rating per bathing season, 2015–2025 — real data reported by national authorities.
- 2015: Good2015
- 2016: Good2016
- 2017: Good2017
- 2018: Good2018
- 2019: Excellent2019
- 2020: Excellent2020
- 2021: Excellent2021
- 2022: Excellent2022
- 2023: Good2023
- 2024: Good2024
- 2025: Sufficient2025
Sufficient in the most recent season, and 10 of 11 classified years rated Excellent or Good.
- Excellent
- Good
- Sufficient
- Poor
- Not classified
View as table
| Year | Classification |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Good |
| 2016 | Good |
| 2017 | Good |
| 2018 | Good |
| 2019 | Excellent |
| 2020 | Excellent |
| 2021 | Excellent |
| 2022 | Excellent |
| 2023 | Good |
| 2024 | Good |
| 2025 | Sufficient |
- 2015Good — meets the EU bathing-water standard in the latest annual assessment.
- 2016Good — meets the EU bathing-water standard in the latest annual assessment.
- 2017Good — meets the EU bathing-water standard in the latest annual assessment.
- 2018Good — meets the EU bathing-water standard in the latest annual assessment.
- 2019Excellent — the highest official classification under the EU bathing-water assessment.
- 2020Excellent — the highest official classification under the EU bathing-water assessment.
- 2021Excellent — the highest official classification under the EU bathing-water assessment.
- 2022Excellent — the highest official classification under the EU bathing-water assessment.
- 2023Good — meets the EU bathing-water standard in the latest annual assessment.
- 2024Good — meets the EU bathing-water standard in the latest annual assessment.
- 2025Sufficient — meets the minimum EU standard in the latest annual assessment.
2026 in-season sample timeline
No individual in-season sample feed has been published for Playa Armintza yet. The official 2025 classification above, from the annual EU Bathing Water report, is the most current rating available for this beach.
How measurement works
Under the EU Bathing Water Directive, national authorities take water samples through the bathing season and test them for two indicator bacteria: intestinal enterococci and E. coli. Higher counts of either indicate a greater risk of contamination from sewage or agricultural runoff.
At the end of each season, the full set of results is reported to the European Environment Agency, which assigns one of four classifications — Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor — based on the statistical spread of the last four seasons' samples, not a single reading. That's why the rating published in spring 2026 covers the 2025 season, and why one bad sample doesn't necessarily change the rating on its own.
Official bathing water profile ↗ · ← Back to the Playa Armintza overview · Sea temperature at Playa Armintza →
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to go in the water at Playa Armintza?
Generally yes, but it's the minimum passing grade for 2025 — check local advisories before swimming. That applies to the water around Biscay.
How is bathing water quality measured?
Under the EU Bathing Water Directive, samples taken through the season are tested for intestinal enterococci and E. coli, with the full-season results going to the European Environment Agency the following spring for one of four classifications — Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor. Some national authorities, including Croatia's IZOR, also publish individual in-season samples ahead of that annual report; that isn't yet available for Playa Armintza.
How often is the water tested?
A full season of sampling (typically 4+ samples, May–September) feeds the official annual classification, but it's only published once, the following spring. Playa Armintza doesn't have an in-season sample feed published yet, so the annual rating above is the most current figure available.