A series of winter sea storms has split Playa del Cura in Torrevieja, leaving the popular beach divided and large sections without sand. Around two hundred metres of the shoreline are now bare rock, with waves striking directly against the concrete wall of the Avenida de los Marineros promenade.

One of the six pedestrian access points has been badly damaged after the sea undermined its ramp and steps, leaving part of the structure hanging and unsafe. The council has fenced off the affected section of the promenade and is expected to authorise the full demolition of the access, as repairs are not considered viable.

The damage comes while a major beach regeneration project remains on hold. Approved in early 2024 with a planned investment of 1.5 million euros, the scheme includes a seventy-five metre breakwater at El Tintero and the addition of more than twenty-three thousand cubic metres of sand. The project is still awaiting a full environmental impact assessment by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition.

Studies linked to the project warn that Playa del Cura has been losing around half a metre of sand each year, due to reduced sediment from the Segura river and rising sea levels. Without action, experts say much of the central section of the beach could disappear within the next twenty years.