Lafiténia

Saint-Jean-De-Luz, France

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English below
Située dans le quartier Acotz, la plage de Lafiténia conserve une caractéristique naturelle prononcée, principalement en hiver. Entourée de falaises, la plage forme en baie en contre bas d'un camping. Le site est un spot emblématique de la côte Basque, fréquenté toute l'année, notamment par les pratiquants de sports nautiques. Les vagues sont relativement agitées, ce qui en fait un spot apprécié des surfeurs confirmés, mais la baignade y est parfois difficile. Des douches et des toilettes sont disponibles.
Le camping à proximité, les cours d'eau (Grand Ichaca, la Baldareta et l'Uhabia), ainsi que le système de traitement des eaux usées peuvent être des sources de dégradation de la qualité de l'eau.

Located in the Acotz area, Lafitenia is a wild beach surrounded by cliffs. This famous surf spot is crowded all along the year, but not adapted to beginners. Shower and toilets are available on the beach.
A camping above the beach, rivers (Grand Ichaca, Baldareta, Uhabia), and the Waste Water Treatment might be explanations for bad water quality.

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Water Quality

No data available
Current Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on October 1st, 2018. Surfrider Foundation Europe updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on October 1st, 2018 at 4:07 AM.

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Monitoring Frequency

Source Information

As part of the Watermen Testers program, Surfrider Foundation Europe volunteers monitor recreational marine and freshwater quality at several sites in the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The sampling season goes throughout the year, on an irregular basis depending on availability of volunteers. That is why the monitoring frequency selected is "Other" for all the beaches in the region. Priority is given to places where Watermen Testers suspect a pollution. Before (from 2014 to 2017), samples were collected bi-monthly. According to the European Directive 2006/7/CE, water quality is based on 2 bacteriological parameters: E. coli and enterococcus. Threshold between average and poor water quality :
Freshwater :
Enterococcus 660 CFU/100mL
E. coli : 1800 CFU/100mL
Marine water:
Enteroccocus : 370 CFU/100mL
E. coli: 1000 CFU/100mL

A beach is marked green if the two results (Enterococcus and E. coli) are under European thresholds.
A beach is marked red if one of the two or the two results is/are above the European threshold.
A beach is marked grey when there are no current results or there is no available information.

Special status beaches:
Due to the high frequentation of beaches during the summer and the occurrence of storms, leading to wastewater treatment plant overflows, some beaches are exposed to short term pollutions.

Uhabia – Bidart: In case of heavy rains, a valve holds untreated water at Uhabia’s estuary, and releases it 500 meters away from the coast during the night.
Grande plage – Biarritz: Sewer overflows release untreated water directly on the beach.
La barre – Anglet: This beach in mainly polluted because of Adour’s estuary which is just above, especially during floods.

Water Quality Graph