On the beach
Right now
Live conditions from Open-Meteo, refreshed hourly.
7-day outlook
7-day marine forecast from Open-Meteo.
Sea temperature
Next 7 days, °C
Wave height
Next 7 days, metres
View as table
| Day | Sea temp (°C) | Wave height (m) |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 2 | 27.5 | 0.5 |
| Thu 3 | 27.8 | 0.2 |
| Fri 4 | 27.7 | 0.3 |
| Sat 5 | 27.8 | 0.3 |
| Sun 6 | 27.6 | 0.3 |
| Mon 7 | 27.7 | 0.2 |
| Tue 8 | 27.7 | 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 | 16 |
| Feb | 16 |
| Mar | 16 |
| Apr | 18 |
| May | 21 |
| Jun | 24 |
| Jul | 26 |
| Aug | 26 |
| Sep | 26 |
| Oct | 24 |
| Nov | 21 |
| Dec | 18 |
Location & nearby beaches
Nearby beaches
- Playa del Nord353 mCastellón
- Playa del Gurugu624 mCastellón
- Playa del Nord1.6 kmCastellón
- Playa del Morrongo1.6 kmCastellón
Distances calculated as straight-line (haversine) from official coordinates.
Getting there & around
- By car: there's parking about ~1.5 km from the beach.
- Bus stop: Benicarló, Av. Papa Luna 131, about ~60 m away.
Food, stays & town
- Nearest town: Benicarló, about ~1.9 km away.
- 2 places to eat within 1 km
- 1 shop nearby, about ~290 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).
- Families
Is the water clean at Playa de la Caracola?
Playa de la Caracola sits on a stretch of coast classed as a coastal 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 Castellón. There's parking about ~1.5 km from the beach.
That rating has been consistent: every one of the 11 classified seasons on record has come back Excellent or Good. The most reliable swimming window here typically runs from July–September, with the sea usually at its warmest around August. Outside that window the water is cooler and often quieter. It's been a consistently reliable spot too — the rating has held at Excellent for 11 straight years. The nearest town, Benicarló, is about ~1.9 km away.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Should you swim at Playa de la Caracola?
Playa de la Caracola is rated Excellent for 2025 — the top EU Bathing Water classification — with 11 of 11 classified seasons rating Excellent or Good, so yes. It's also held steady at Excellent for 11 straight years.
What is the sea temperature at Playa de la Caracola today?
The latest reading puts the sea at Playa de la Caracola at around 27°C — the “Right now” panel above has the full live picture. That's the reading right off Castellón. On the modeled climatology here, August usually runs warmest.
When does Playa de la Caracola have the warmest water?
For swimming, July–September is usually the best call — that's the modeled window when the sea here runs warmest. That applies to the water around Castellón. Within that window, August is typically the single warmest month.
How is bathing water quality actually assessed?
Once a year, national authorities report a full season of testing for intestinal enterococci and E. coli to the European Environment Agency, which grades the season Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor under the EU Bathing Water Directive. A handful of countries, including Croatia via IZOR, also publish individual in-season samples ahead of that report — Playa de la Caracola doesn't have that feed set up yet.
What's the easiest way to reach Playa de la Caracola?
By car, there's parking about ~1.5 km from the beach. By bus, the nearest stop is Benicarló, Av. Papa Luna 131, about ~60 m away. The nearest town is Benicarló, about ~1.9 km away.