The Parque del Agua at Misericordia beach stays closed a week after several schoolchildren reported gastroenteritis. The city council is cleaning and disinfecting the water features, but no reopening date has been set.
The Parque del Agua, a popular water play area on Misericordia beach in Málaga's Carretera de Cádiz district, has been cordoned off for a full week after the city council decided to shut it down upon learning of several gastroenteritis cases among schoolchildren who had visited the site. Municipal sources stress that a direct link has not yet been confirmed, but as a precaution, the council is carrying out a thorough cleaning of the aquatic installations.
Workers are currently emptying and scrubbing the main water tank, applying waterproofing to prevent leaks, and inspecting the entire pumping and treatment system. The goal is to have the park operational again as soon as possible, though no specific date has been announced. A city hall spokesperson stated that the reopening will happen "soon".
The park features nine accessible water elements for all ages and is free to use. Normally, before each season, the environmental sustainability department performs a pre-service check and hyperchlorination, followed by regular monitoring in line with legal requirements for drinking water. Despite these measures, the outbreak has raised concerns among families who frequently use the facility during summer.
The closure was announced on Friday, June 19, after the Andalusian Health Service notified the council of gastroenteritis in students from several schools who had apparently visited the park. Health authorities were initially set to take samples to determine if the park was the source, but now the city council itself will handle the analysis once the ongoing cleaning and repairs are completed, ensuring everything is safe before reopening.
This incident echoes similar temporary shutdowns of public water parks across Spain in recent years due to hygiene concerns. In 2022, for instance, a splash pad in Seville was closed for three days after a child fell ill, though tests later ruled out contamination. The Málaga case has prompted the city to review its maintenance protocols, though no official changes have been announced yet.
In the meantime, residents are advised to use alternative cooling options, such as the city's public pools or beaches. The council has promised to issue a reopening date as soon as the tests confirm the water is safe. For now, the Parque del Agua remains fenced off, with signs explaining the precautionary measure.
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