The l'Escala City Council is carrying out consolidation works on the cliffs of Illa Mateua cove to lift the bathing restrictions that have been in place since July 2022, when two large rocks fell at this point in the Montgó area.
The action comes almost four years after the landslide and after Costas refused to intervene. The council finally awarded the works in 2026 to act in a cove located next to homes, a campsite, and diving companies, and plans to reopen it next month when the prohibition signs are removed.
Works at Illa Mateua will end next month after an investment of 56,603 euros
The works include the removal of invasive flora, intervention in risk areas, and the installation of a protective mesh on the cliff. The budget amounts to 56,603 euros and comes from Next Generation funds.
When the action is completed, the city council will remove the signage prohibiting bathing and will restore access to a cove that has remained closed since the landslide in July 2022.
In addition to solving the safety problem at Illa Mateua, the intervention is part of the Pla del Parc de Cultura i Patrimoni del Paratge de Torre Montgó, which also includes the repair of the surroundings of Punta Montgó.
l'Escala contributes 400,000 euros to regenerate Riells and Empúries after the storms
In parallel, the council has promoted the regeneration with sand of several beaches in Riells and Empúries to recover the bathing area affected by the storms. The municipal investment in this area amounts to 400,000 euros to provide 7,272 cubic meters of sand.
The majority of the material will go to Portitxol beach, which will receive more than 3,000 cubic meters due to its tourist and economic importance. Two other beaches will concentrate a large part of the rest of the action.
Specifically, the city council will allocate 2,000 cubic meters to Convent beach and another 2,000 to Moll Grec, within an intervention that also covers the Muscleres area.
The reopening of Illa Mateua will be linked to the end of consolidation works awarded in 2026 with a budget of 56,603 euros from Next Generation funds.