Cabo de Gata to enjoy first summer without jet skis

The restriction was published in the Official Bulletin of the Andalusian regional government (BOJA) on 9 December 2025 and prohibits motorboat activity along the park’s protected coastline with the aim of preserving marine and coastal habitats of priority interest, integral reserve zones and areas of particular environmental fragility.

The ban brings to a head a campaign by the coordinating committee of associations of the villages of Cabo de Gata – comprising 13 neighbourhood associations and conservation organisations – which had called on the management of the natural park to ban or restrict "as far as possible" the use of jet skis due to the risk they pose to swimmers and their impact on sealife.

The association's spokesperson, José Francisco Cano, told Europa Press that the measure was a “direct result of a proposal” put forward by the group at a meeting on the management of the park, as part of a wider document addressing the problems facing the protected area. That complaint has now led to a visible change along the coast. “The situation has changed substantially; it’s very difficult to spot a jet ski at the moment,” he said.

According to Cano, the contrast with previous summers is clear. “It got worse every year,” he said, adding that jet skis “roamed freely throughout the nature reserve” in a situation where there was “very little control” over speed and access to restricted areas.

Cano highlighted that the measure will help to improve harmony on beaches and in coves and to promote better care of the natural environment: “Non-compliance used to be widespread, which is why this shows that the measure taken is the right one."

According to Cano, one of the clearest examples of this change can be seen at the San José marina, which used to serve as a departure point for jet skis heading for the sheltered coastline and where there are now no longer any such craft.

Cano said that the odd infringement may still occur, although he has said that so far no jet skis have been seen along the park’s coastline. "It appears that there is widespread compliance" with the ban.

 Fines

The BOJA resolution justifies the ban on the grounds of the adverse effects this activity may have on the protected area, including noise pollution, toxic gas emissions, and fuel and oil spills, the risk of collisions with species swimming on the surface or at shallow depths, a decline in water quality, and an increased risk of boating accidents.

The figures also reflect the pressure that jet skis have continued to have on Almeria's coastline, with 45 cases opened by the Almeria port authirity in 2025 for offences relating to the use and operation of jet skis in the province. To date, nine of these cases have been resolved, all of them resulting in fines ranging from 2,000 to 7,000 euros.

The main offences detected relate to boating in marked swimming areas, reckless manoeuvres, excessive speed, a lack of appropriate qualifications, the absence of valid compulsory third-party liability insurance and night-time use.