Spain’s drought headlines might make you picture empty pools and shuttered fountains everywhere you look.
Short answer: no, don’t worry. Almost nowhere in Spain has any water restriction that affects tourists this summer.
The exceptions are four inland Málaga towns and a village in Mallorca, where private and community pools can’t be filled. Here’s the full picture, region by region.
- Short answer: no real concern for most travellers — hotel pools, fountains, and daily activities are running as normal across Spain.
- National reservoirs are at 75.29% capacity as of 14 July 2026, higher than this time last year.
- Murcia has Spain’s lowest regional reservoir level (29.73%) but zero tourist restrictions, thanks to desalination and water reuse.
- The Costa Blanca and Murcia area (the Segura basin) isn’t under any pool ban right now — its drought rating is “normal,” the mildest level.
- One exception: four inland Málaga towns (Alameda, Fuente de Piedra, Humilladero, Mollina) have banned filling private and community pools since May 2026.
- Another exception: Deià, in Mallorca, has banned filling pools with mains water, and two other Mallorca municipalities are on “alert” for drought.
How much water does Spain actually have right now?
Spain’s reservoirs held 42,192 cubic hectometres of water as of 14 July 2026 — 75.29% of capacity — according to the government’s weekly water bulletin.
That figure drops slightly each week through summer as demand rises with the heat. This is normal.
Reservoirs are still fuller than this time last year, when they held 69.72% in July 2025, thanks to a wet start to 2026.
What this actually means for your trip
For almost every traveller, the drought changes nothing about where you can stay or what you can do. Hotel pools are filling as normal all over Spain, from Murcia, the region with the least water, to the coasts everyone already books.
Only two groups need to check anything: anyone staying in Alameda, Fuente de Piedra, Humilladero, or Mollina, the four Málaga towns with an active pool ban, or anyone staying in Deià, Mallorca. Everyone else can ignore this entirely.
For the coasts and cities where most trips happen, from Madrid to Barcelona, this summer looks like a normal one for water, despite the drought headlines.
Murcia has the least water and the fewest rules for visitors
Short answer: no. Murcia has Spain’s lowest reservoirs, at 29.73% of capacity, yet zero restrictions on hotels, campsites, or any other tourist facility.
That 29.73% figure covers reservoirs located within the region itself. The wider Segura river basin that supplies Murcia, boosted by inter-basin transfers, stood at a healthier 57.2% on the same date.
Why? Decades of investment in desalination and water reuse. The region recycles over 90% of its treated water and runs one of Spain’s largest desalination plants, so it doesn’t rely on reservoirs the way the rest of Spain does.
If your trip is built around Murcia, the drought headlines look scary but change nothing about your stay.
Segura basin (Costa Blanca and Murcia): is there a pool ban right now?
Short answer: no, not right now.
The Segura basin covers Murcia and southern Alicante, including the Costa Blanca coastline.
Spain rates drought severity on a four-step scale, from normal to emergency. Only the most severe step, emergency, bans filling private pools.
As of July 2026, the Segura basin’s official rating was “normal,” the mildest step. The pool ban hasn’t kicked in anywhere in the basin.
A stricter drought plan for the basin took effect in June 2026, lowering the threshold for triggering restrictions later in the season. It’s worth a recheck if you’re travelling in late summer or autumn.
Right now, hotel pools aren’t affected — the ban only applies once a basin reaches “emergency” status, and Segura hasn’t. That exemption isn’t guaranteed long-term, though: Catalonia’s 2025 drought plan shows hotels and campsites can be included once emergency is declared.
If you’ve booked a villa with its own pool in this area, it’s still worth a quick check with your host. The rating is reviewed monthly, and a few individual towns set their own separate rules.
Popular bases like Alicante are unaffected — hotel and villa pools are filling as normal.
Catalonia and Andalusia are the recovery story
Short answer: no, not in Catalonia or most of Andalusia. Catalonia made global headlines for its drought a couple of years ago, when Barcelona’s reservoirs hit historic lows.
Most restrictions were phased out through 2025 as reservoirs recovered. The system serving six million people around Barcelona moved out of drought status in April 2025, and Catalonia’s reservoirs are now above 84% — the highest of any region.
Barcelona’s summer heat is a bigger concern for visitors this year than its water supply. The city reopened its ornamental fountains in phases through 2025 and into the first half of 2026, with the largest fountains among the last to return.
The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc itself came back in September 2025, in time for the city’s La Mercè festival.
Andalusia has recovered strongly too, at 80.09% capacity. Most of the Costa del Sol and Málaga city are back to normal, with hotel pools filling as usual.
The exception is four inland Málaga towns — Alameda, Fuente de Piedra, Humilladero, and Mollina. Since May 2026, they’ve banned filling private and community pools, and watering gardens with tap water.
Balearic Islands: is there a pool ban in Mallorca or Ibiza?
Short answer: it depends where you’re headed. The Balearic Islands entered summer with reservoirs around 45% of capacity after an extremely dry June.
Pla and Artà, both in Mallorca, are rated “alert.” The rest of the archipelago, including Ibiza and Menorca, is in the milder “pre-alert” stage.
In Mallorca’s Deià, the town council has already banned filling pools with mains water, along with car-washing and terrace-cleaning.
If you’re staying in Mallorca, Menorca, or Ibiza, it’s worth checking with your municipality or host before you travel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to travel to Spain during the 2026 drought?
Yes. National reservoirs are at 75.29% capacity as of 14 July 2026, higher than last year. Only four inland Málaga towns and one Mallorca village have any tourist-relevant restriction.
Which part of Spain has water restrictions in 2026?
Four inland Málaga towns — Alameda, Fuente de Piedra, Humilladero, and Mollina — ban filling private and community pools, because of low groundwater. Deià, in Mallorca, has a similar ban on filling pools with mains water. The Costa Blanca and Murcia area has a similar rule on the books, but it isn’t active right now.
Will my hotel pool be affected by the drought?
Not right now. Every active restriction targets private and community pools in specific towns, so no hotel is currently affected. If a region reaches the most severe “emergency” drought level, tourist accommodation could be included, based on precedent in Catalonia’s 2025 drought plan.
Is Barcelona still under drought restrictions?
No. Catalonia phased out most of its restrictions through 2025, starting with the system serving six million people around Barcelona in April 2025. Its reservoirs are now the fullest in Spain, above 84% capacity.
Does the Costa del Sol have water restrictions in 2026?
Mostly no. Costa del Sol and Málaga city are back to normal. Only four inland Málaga towns ban filling pools and watering gardens with tap water, since May 2026.
Are there water restrictions in the Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Ibiza) in 2026?
In some areas, yes. Deià, in Mallorca, has banned filling pools with mains water, and Pla and Artà are rated “alert.” The rest of the islands, including Ibiza and Menorca, are in the milder “pre-alert” stage — check with your municipality or host if you’re travelling there.
Sources
- Ministry for Ecological Transition (MITECO): La reserva hídrica española se encuentra al 75,3% de su capacidad, 14 de julio de 2026
- Infobae: Estado de los embalses de España, 15 de julio de 2026
- Confederación Hidrográfica del Segura: Informe Mensual de Sequías, 1 de julio de 2026
- Confederación Hidrográfica del Segura: Plan Especial de Sequía 2026 (Vigente)
- El Debate: Nuevo plan del Gobierno para la sequía en la cuenca del Segura
- Región de Murcia Europea: La Región de Murcia se sitúa a la vanguardia en depuración y reutilización de agua regenerada
- La Actualidad: La desaladora de Águilas se convertirá en la segunda más grande de España
- eldiario.es Andalucía: Cuatro pueblos de Málaga prohíben regar y llenar piscinas por la sequía
- Catalan News: Government announces end to water restrictions for six million in Catalonia
- Catalan News: Barcelona begins gradual reopening of ornamental fountains after drought
- Hosteltur: Cataluña prohibirá llenar piscinas de hoteles y campings por la sequía en emergencia
- El Debate: Este pueblo de Mallorca aplica desde hace un año las restricciones de agua más severas de la isla
- Última Hora: Baleares afronta el verano con las reservas hídricas en el contexto de calor extremo
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