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 | 24.3 | 0.4 |
| Thu 3 | 24.5 | 0.3 |
| Fri 4 | 24.6 | 0.2 |
| Sat 5 | 24.4 | 0.3 |
| Sun 6 | 24.7 | 0.4 |
| Mon 7 | 24.7 | 0.3 |
| Tue 8 | 24.7 | 0.1 |
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
- Playa el Dedo489 mMálaga
- Playa Pe?on del Cuervo757 mMálaga
- Playa Cemento1.3 kmMálaga
- Playa el Palo1.3 kmMálaga
Distances calculated as straight-line (haversine) from official coordinates.
Getting there & around
- By car: there's parking about ~370 m from the beach.
- Bus stop: Gasolinera El Candado, about ~90 m away.
Food, stays & town
- Nearest city: Málaga, about ~7.0 km away.
- 13 places to eat within 1 km Closest is La Recoleta, about ~430 m away.
- 9 shops nearby, the closest about ~180 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
- Naturist
Is the water clean at Playa el Candado?
Playa el Candado 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 Málaga. There's parking about ~370 m from the beach.
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, July–September is the safest bet, with August typically the peak — expect a cooler, calmer sea either side of that stretch.
“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 13 places to eat within a kilometre — La Recoleta is the closest, about ~430 m away.
Frequently asked questions
Is Playa el Candado safe to swim in?
Playa el Candado 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's the current water temperature at Playa el Candado?
Playa el Candado's sea temperature currently sits at around 23°C, based on the latest update — check the “Right now” panel above for the full live picture. That's the reading right off Málaga. On the modeled climatology here, August usually runs warmest.
When should you plan a swimming trip to Playa el Candado?
For the warmest water, aim for July–September — that's when the modeled sea temperature is typically at its best. That applies to the water around Málaga. 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 el Candado doesn't have that feed set up yet.
What's the easiest way to reach Playa el Candado?
By car, there's parking about ~370 m from the beach. By bus, the nearest stop is Gasolinera El Candado, about ~90 m away. The nearest town is Málaga, about ~7.0 km away.