BeachScout

On the beach

  • Benches
  • Accessible entry
  • Sandy shore
  • Toilets
  • Trash bins

Right now

Live conditions from Open-Meteo, refreshed hourly.

Sea temp
24°C
Warm and pleasant for swimming
Wave height
1.4m
Choppy — take care
Wind
30km/h
N breeze
UV index
8/ 11
Very high — use SPF 30+

7-day outlook

7-day marine forecast from Open-Meteo.

Sea temperature

Next 7 days, °C

24°24°25°25°25°24.4 °CWed 2Thu 3Fri 4Sat 5Sun 6Mon 7Tue 8

Wave height

Next 7 days, metres

0.2m0.7m1.3m1.8m1.5 mWed 2Thu 3Fri 4Sat 5Sun 6Mon 7Tue 8
View as table
7-day sea temperature and wave height forecast for Playa Castillo de San Gabriel (El Castillo)
DaySea temp (°C)Wave height (m)
Wed 224.61.5
Thu 324.91.0
Fri 424.80.5
Sat 524.80.7
Sun 624.60.9
Mon 724.50.9
Tue 824.40.9

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
11-year EEA bathing water classification history for Playa Castillo de San Gabriel (El Castillo)
YearClassification
2015Excellent
2016Excellent
2017Excellent
2018Excellent
2019Excellent
2020Excellent
2021Excellent
2022Excellent
2023Excellent
2024Excellent
2025Excellent

Typical sea temperature by month

Modeled estimate

Plausible seasonal climatology derived from latitude, for illustration — not a measured average.

Monthly sea temperature

Typical range across the year, °C

16°19°22°25°28°Typical this month: 26°CJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
View as table
Typical monthly sea temperature at Playa Castillo de San Gabriel (El Castillo) (modeled climatology)
MonthTypical sea temp (°C)
Jan19
Feb18
Mar18
Apr20
May22
Jun24
Jul25
Aug26
Sep26
Oct24
Nov22
Dec20

Location & nearby beaches

28.9553°N, -13.5481°E · Open larger map ↗ · Open in Google Maps ↗

Nearby beaches

Distances calculated as straight-line (haversine) from official coordinates.

Getting there & around

  • By car: there's parking about ~840 m from the beach.
  • Bus stop: Calle Real, about ~360 m away.

Food, stays & town

  • Nearest town: Arrecife, about ~1.0 km away.
  • 11 places to eat within 1 km Closest is Barbacana, about ~420 m away.
  • 1 place to stay mapped nearby Closest is Miramar, about ~390 m away.
  • 1 shop nearby, about ~1.3 km away

What kind of beach is this?

This is a town beach, woven into the everyday fabric of a city or larger settlement — expect company on warm days, especially through July and August, alongside easy access to shops and services.

Estimated from OpenStreetMap surroundings data (ODbL).

Is the water clean at Playa Castillo de San Gabriel (El Castillo)?

Playa Castillo de San Gabriel (El Castillo) is a coastal bathing site with an official EU Bathing Water rating of Excellent for the 2025 season — the highest official classification under the EU bathing-water assessment. That annual classification comes from the EU Bathing Water Directive: national authorities test for two indicator bacteria, intestinal enterococci and E. coli, throughout the bathing season, then report the full-season results to the European Environment Agency (EEA) the following spring — the 2025 season's rating was published in spring 2026, and the 2026 season won't be rated 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. On site you'll find Sandy shore, Toilets, and Accessible entry. You can park about ~840 m away.

That rating has been consistent: every one of the 11 classified seasons on record has come back Excellent or Good. If you're timing a visit around water temperature rather than crowds, June–October is the safest bet, with August typically the peak — expect a cooler, calmer sea either side of that stretch. Arrecife — the closest town — sits about ~1.0 km from here.

That “Excellent” label comes from a full season of official water sampling, not a single test — it's one step on a four-point scale (Excellent, Good, Sufficient, Poor) reassessed once a year. Today's actual conditions can differ from the seasonal average, so for a live snapshot see the “Right now” and 7-day outlook panels above. It's been a consistently reliable spot too — the rating has held at Excellent for 11 straight years. There are 11 places to eat within a kilometre — Barbacana is the closest, about ~420 m away.

Frequently asked questions

Can you safely swim at Playa Castillo de San Gabriel (El Castillo)?

It's about as safe as bathing water gets: Playa Castillo de San Gabriel (El Castillo)'s 2025 EU rating is Excellent, the top tier on the scale, and 11 of 11 classified seasons have come back Excellent or Good. It's also held steady at Excellent for 11 straight years.

How cold or warm is the water at Playa Castillo de San Gabriel (El Castillo) today?

Right now, the sea at Playa Castillo de San Gabriel (El Castillo) is measuring around 24°C; see the “Right now” panel above for the latest conditions. That's the reading right off Las Palmas.

Which month has the warmest sea at Playa Castillo de San Gabriel (El Castillo)?

The most reliable stretch for warm water runs through June–October, based on the modeled climatology. That applies to the water around Las Palmas.

What's behind the water quality rating shown above?

The annual classification — Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor — is built from a full season of official testing for intestinal enterococci and E. coli, reported to the European Environment Agency each spring. Some national authorities (Croatia's IZOR among them) also publish individual samples during the season itself; Playa Castillo de San Gabriel (El Castillo) isn't yet covered by that in-season feed.

Can you drive to Playa Castillo de San Gabriel (El Castillo)?

By car, there's parking about ~840 m from the beach. By bus, the nearest stop is Calle Real, about ~360 m away. The nearest town is Arrecife, about ~1.0 km away.