Updated: October 2026

Every year Spanish vets warn dog owners about the pine processionary caterpillar (oruga procesionaria). The caterpillars live in pine trees all over Spain, including parks, gardens and urbanisations on the Costa del Sol, and their hairs can cause serious injuries to dogs – and rashes in people. Here is what to look for, when the risk is highest and what to do if your dog touches one.

What is the processionary caterpillar?

The pine processionary (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) is a moth whose caterpillars spend the winter in white, silky nests in pine trees, and sometimes cedars. When they are ready to bury themselves in the ground, they leave the tree and walk nose-to-tail in long lines – the “procession” that gives them their name.

When is the risk highest?

The nests appear in pine trees in autumn and winter. The dangerous period is when the caterpillars come down to the ground, usually from late winter into spring. In warm areas such as the Costa del Sol this can start as early as January, and a mild winter can bring it forward. Keep an eye out from the turn of the year until the end of spring.

Why it is dangerous for dogs

Each caterpillar is covered in thousands of tiny hairs containing a toxin. Dogs are curious and sniff, lick or pick up the caterpillars, and the hairs break off and stick to the mouth, tongue and eyes. Even dead caterpillars and empty nests can be harmful.

Signs to watch for:

• Heavy drooling and pawing at the mouth
• A swollen or discoloured tongue or lips
• Vomiting
• Red, itchy skin or eyes
• Restlessness or difficulty breathing

What to do if your dog touches one

1. Go to a vet straight away. This is an emergency – the tongue can be permanently damaged within hours.
2. Rinse, do not rub. On the way, rinse the mouth and affected area gently with plenty of water. Rubbing breaks the hairs and releases more toxin.
3. Protect yourself. Use gloves if you can, so the hairs do not get on your skin.
4. Keep the dog calm and stop it licking or rubbing its face.

How to prevent it

• Walk your dog on a lead near pine trees from January to spring, and avoid pine woods and parks with nests.
• Look up: white silk “bags” in pine branches mean nests.
• Never touch nests or caterpillars, and teach children not to either.
• If you have pines in your garden, ask a gardening or pest-control company to remove nests safely in autumn or early winter. Some town halls treat trees in public areas – report nests in parks to the town hall.

Looking for a gardener on the Costa del Sol? Find local companies in our Find a Business directory. More pet guides: Pets in Spain.

FAQ: processionary caterpillars

Are processionary caterpillars dangerous to people?

The hairs can cause itchy rashes, eye irritation and, rarely, allergic reactions. Wash the skin with water and see a doctor if symptoms are strong or affect the eyes.

Can cats be affected?

Yes, although cats are usually more careful than dogs. The symptoms and the first aid are the same.

Should I remove nests myself?

No. Let a professional do it with protective equipment. Disturbing a nest can spread the hairs.

Disclaimer: This article is general information, not veterinary advice. If your pet shows symptoms, contact a vet immediately.

Updated: October 2026

Spanish summers are getting longer and hotter, and a heatwave here can be far more intense than anything many newcomers have lived through. This guide explains how the official heat warnings work, how to recognise heat exhaustion and heat stroke, where to cool down for free, and what the rules say about outdoor work and leaving pets in cars. For emergency numbers and general safety, see our guide to safety and emergencies in Spain.

How AEMET heat warnings work

AEMET (Agencia Estatal de Meteorología) is Spain’s national weather agency. Under its Meteoalerta plan it issues warnings for adverse weather, including high temperatures, up to 72 hours ahead. Warnings use three colours:

Level	What AEMET means	What you should do
Yellow	Low danger, but vulnerable people and those in exposed places may be affected	Stay alert, plan activities for cooler hours, keep an eye on older relatives and children
Orange	Significant danger with possible serious impacts	Take precautions, limit physical effort outdoors, follow updates
Red	Extraordinary danger with very severe impacts possible	Follow instructions from the authorities and avoid non-essential travel and outdoor activity

Heat warnings are based on forecast maximum temperatures, and the thresholds are different for each warning zone. A temperature that triggers a yellow warning on the northern coast may be an ordinary summer day in inland Andalusia, so do not compare warnings between regions by the number alone. Check the warning for the zone where you actually are on the AEMET website or the official AEMET app.

Es-Alert messages on your phone

In serious situations, regional emergency services can send an Es-Alert message straight to every mobile phone in the affected area, with a loud tone even if your phone is on silent. You do not need to register. Read the message carefully: it may tell you to stay indoors in the hottest hours or avoid certain activities. How Es-Alert works is explained in more detail in our general safety guide.

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke: know the signs

Heat illness often builds up slowly. Heat exhaustion comes first: heavy sweating, tiredness, dizziness, headache, nausea, cramps and intense thirst. If you or someone else feels like this, move to a cool place, lie down, loosen clothing and sip water. Symptoms should improve within about half an hour.

Heat stroke (golpe de calor) is a medical emergency. According to Spain’s Ministry of Health, the warning signs include:

• Red, hot and dry skin
• A fast pulse
• An intense headache
• Confusion or strange behaviour
• Loss of consciousness

What to do:

1. Call 112 straight away and say you suspect heat stroke (golpe de calor).
2. Move the person to the coolest, shadiest place you can find.
3. Cool the body with cold, wet cloths, a fan, or a cool shower if they are conscious and able to stand.
4. Do not give drinks to someone who is confused or drowsy, as they may choke.

Everyday habits that make a difference

Locals have long lived with heat, and many of their habits are worth copying:

• Keep the house dark: close blinds (persianas) and shutters in the morning on the sunny side, and open windows only at night when the air outside is cooler.
• Shift your day: do errands, exercise and gardening early in the morning or after sunset. Avoid the sun from roughly midday to late afternoon.
• Drink before you are thirsty: water is best. Alcohol and very sugary drinks make dehydration worse.
• Eat light: salads, gazpacho and fruit are traditional for a reason.
• Dress for it: loose, light-coloured clothing, a hat and sunglasses.
• Check your medication: some medicines (for example certain blood pressure drugs and diuretics) affect how your body copes with heat. Ask your doctor or pharmacist before summer.

Climate shelters: free places to cool down

Many Spanish cities now run refugios climáticos (climate shelters): air-conditioned public buildings such as libraries, civic centres, museums and markets, plus shaded parks and outdoor spaces where anyone can rest without paying. They are aimed especially at people who cannot keep their homes cool.

• Barcelona has one of the largest networks, with several hundred municipal sites.
• Málaga publishes an interactive map of its climate comfort areas, shade corridors and shelters on the city’s environment website.
• Bilbao, Valencia, Zaragoza and other cities also run networks, but many smaller towns have none.

Opening hours vary, and some shelters close in August or at weekends. Search for “refugios climáticos” plus your town name on your ayuntamiento (town hall) website before the hot season starts. Shopping centres and public libraries are a good fallback.

Outdoor work, pets and cars

If you work outside

Since May 2023 Spanish workplace rules (Real Decreto-ley 4/2023, which amended the workplace safety regulation RD 486/1997) require employers to protect people who work outdoors from extreme heat. Measures must be based on the risk assessment and can include banning certain tasks during the hottest hours. When AEMET or the regional weather service issues an orange or red warning and other measures are not enough, the employer must adapt working conditions, including reducing or changing working hours. This applies to construction, agriculture, delivery, gardening and similar jobs. If you are self-employed, apply the same logic to your own schedule. Read more about your rights in our guide to the Spanish job market.

Pets

• Walk dogs early or late: pavements and sand can burn paws. Test the ground with the back of your hand for a few seconds.
• Water and shade at home: leave fresh water and a cool, shaded spot, and never leave animals on a sunny terrace.
• Watch for signs: heavy panting, drooling, weakness or vomiting need a vet quickly. Flat-faced breeds and older animals are most at risk.

Cars

A parked car in the Spanish sun heats up within minutes. Never leave a child or a pet inside, not even “just for a moment”. Spain’s animal welfare law (Ley 7/2023) forbids leaving animals alone in closed vehicles in conditions that put them at risk, and fines can be very high. See our guide to Spain’s animal welfare law. If you see a child or animal in distress in a locked car, call 112.

Look out for older neighbours

People over 75, babies, people with chronic illness and those living alone are the most vulnerable in a heatwave. Many older Spaniards live alone in flats on upper floors without air conditioning. A short knock on the door can save a life:

• Check in at least once a day during an orange or red warning.
• Make sure they have water, can keep blinds closed and know where the nearest climate shelter is.
• Offer to do their shopping so they do not have to go out at midday.
• If someone seems confused, very weak or does not answer, call 112.

Make sure you are registered with a health centre before summer; our guide to healthcare for foreign residents explains how.

Useful links

• AEMET: what the warning levels mean
• AEMET Meteoalerta: current weather warnings
• Ministry of Health: heat stroke symptoms and first aid (Spanish)
• Málaga City Council: map of climate comfort areas and shelters (Spanish)
• Safety and emergencies in Spain
• Hospitals in Spain

FAQ: heatwaves in Spain

What temperature triggers a heat warning in Spain?

There is no single national number. AEMET sets different thresholds for each warning zone, so the same temperature can mean a yellow warning in one region and a normal day in another.

What is a refugio climático?

A climate shelter is a public space, often an air-conditioned library, civic centre or shaded park, where anyone can cool down for free during hot weather. Check your town hall website for locations and opening hours.

Can my employer make me work outdoors during a red warning?

Employers must protect outdoor workers from extreme heat. During orange or red warnings, if other measures are not enough, they must adapt conditions, including reducing or changing working hours.

How do I tell heat exhaustion from heat stroke?

Heat exhaustion usually brings heavy sweating, tiredness and dizziness and improves with rest and cooling. Confusion, hot dry skin or loss of consciousness point to heat stroke: call 112 immediately.

Disclaimer: This article is general information only and is not medical or legal advice. Warning levels, rules and shelter opening times can change – always follow AEMET, the emergency services and your doctor.

Updated: October 2026

Living near the sea is one of the best parts of life in Spain, but the Mediterranean and the Atlantic both deserve respect. This guide is for newcomers who swim, paddle or take their children to the beach regularly. You will learn what the flags mean, when lifeguards are on duty, how to escape a rip current, what to do about jellyfish and other stings, and how to handle the strong Spanish sun. For emergency numbers and general safety, see our guide to safety and emergencies in Spain.

Beach flags and what they mean

On supervised beaches, lifeguards raise a flag on the lifeguard tower or a pole near the main access each day. The basic system is the same all over Spain:

Flag	Meaning	What to do
Green	Calm conditions, bathing allowed	Swim normally, but still stay within your depth if you are not a strong swimmer
Yellow	Caution: waves, currents or other hazards	Stay close to the shore, do not go out of your depth, keep children next to you
Red	Bathing prohibited	Do not go in the water at all; local fines can apply

Some municipalities add extra flags or signs, for example to warn of jellyfish or water quality problems. Read the information panel at the beach entrance; many have pictograms that work in any language. If there is no flag at all, assume no lifeguard is watching.

Lifeguard seasons and swimming outside them

Lifeguard services are organised by each town hall, so dates and hours vary. Typically, popular beaches have lifeguards every day during the main summer season, and some add cover at Easter or on weekends in late spring and early autumn. Outside those periods, and early in the morning or in the evening, most beaches are unguarded, even in big resorts. Check your town hall website for the exact dates for your beach.

Many residents swim all year round, and on a calm autumn day the sea can be lovely. Spain still records hundreds of drownings a year: the annual national drowning report counted 514 deaths in 2025, concentrated on unsupervised beaches and in natural areas, and around four in five victims were men. If you swim outside the season:

• Never swim alone, and tell someone on land where you are going.
• Swim parallel to the beach, not straight out to sea.
• Use a brightly coloured swim buoy so boats and other people can see you.
• Avoid swimming after heavy meals or alcohol, and get out if you feel cold or tired.
• Check the wave forecast; rough seas after a storm can stay dangerous for days.

Rip currents: how to spot and escape them

A rip current (corriente de retorno or resaca) is a narrow, fast channel of water flowing from the shore out to sea. According to the Spanish Red Cross, rip currents are one of the main hazards on Mediterranean beaches, and they often appear after a period of big waves, when the sea already looks calm again. Signs include a gap in the breaking waves, darker or murkier water, or foam and debris moving out to sea.

If you are caught in one:

1. Do not fight it by swimming straight back to the beach; you will tire quickly.
2. Stay calm and float, letting the current carry you. Rip currents lose strength further out.
3. Swim sideways, parallel to the shore, until you are out of the current and waves help push you back in.
4. Raise an arm and shout to signal for help.

If you see someone else in trouble on an unguarded beach, do not jump in unless you are trained and equipped. Throw them something that floats, keep your eyes on the spot where you last saw them, and call 112.

Jellyfish and other stings

Jellyfish (medusas) appear on many Spanish coasts in summer, especially after periods of warm water and onshore wind. Most stings are painful but not dangerous. First aid, based on advice from Spanish paediatricians and consumer organisation OCU:

1. Get out of the water and go to the lifeguard or first-aid post if there is one; staff know the local species.
2. Do not rub the skin with a towel or sand.
3. Rinse with seawater or saline, not fresh water, which can make the stinging cells release more venom.
4. Remove any tentacles with tweezers or the edge of a plastic card, never with bare hands.
5. Apply cold for about 15 minutes, with ice inside a plastic bag so it does not touch the skin.

Avoid vinegar, ammonia and urine unless a lifeguard tells you otherwise: with some species they can make things worse. Get medical help quickly if the person feels sick, dizzy, has cramps, difficulty breathing, or if a child, an older person or someone with allergies has been stung.

Weever fish and sea urchins

• Weever fish (pez araña): they hide in the sand in shallow water and sting the soles of the feet, causing intense pain. Soak the area in water as hot as you can comfortably bear for at least 30 minutes; the venom breaks down with heat. Do not use ice. See a doctor afterwards.
• Sea urchins (erizos): common on rocky shores. Wear water shoes, and remove spines carefully with tweezers. See a doctor if spines stay in or the wound gets worse.

Sun safety

The UV index in southern Spain regularly reaches very high levels in summer, and sunburn can happen even on cloudy or breezy days. AEMET publishes a daily UV forecast, where 8–10 is “very high” and 11 or more is “extreme”.

• Avoid direct sun in the middle of the day, roughly from 12:00 to 17:00 in summer.
• Use a high-factor sunscreen and reapply after swimming and every couple of hours.
• Bring a parasol, hat, sunglasses and plenty of water.
• Enter the water gradually after a long time in the sun, especially if you are older or have heart problems.

Keeping children safe

• Constant supervision: one adult should always be watching, without a phone. Lifeguards do not replace parents.
• Within arm’s reach: keep toddlers and weak swimmers close in the water, and use approved swimming aids rather than inflatable toys.
• Agree a meeting point: beaches get crowded. Pick a lifeguard tower or a beach bar as the place to go if they get lost, and write your phone number on a wristband.
• Shade and water: babies should stay out of direct sun, and children need regular drinks and breaks.

Looking for a beach to call home? See our guides to Fuengirola and Marbella, and make sure you know how to use the Spanish healthcare system before you need it.

Useful links

• Spanish Red Cross: how to act in an emergency at sea (Spanish)
• Spanish Red Cross: preventing drowning in summer (Spanish)
• OCU: jellyfish, weever fish and sea urchin stings (Spanish)
• AEMET: UV index forecast explained
• Safety and emergencies in Spain
• Hospitals in Spain

FAQ: beach safety in Spain

Can I swim when the red flag is up?

No. A red flag means bathing is prohibited, lifeguards will call you out of the water and some towns can fine you. Wait for conditions to improve or choose a sheltered beach with a green or yellow flag.

Should I put vinegar on a jellyfish sting?

Not as a rule. Spanish health advice is to rinse with seawater, avoid fresh water and rubbing, remove tentacles carefully and apply wrapped ice. Use vinegar only if a lifeguard recommends it for the local species.

When are lifeguards on duty?

Each town hall sets its own season and hours, usually covering the main summer months on the busiest beaches. Outside those dates most beaches are unguarded, so check locally.

Who do I call if someone is in trouble in the sea?

Alert the nearest lifeguard if there is one, and call 112. Throw something that floats and keep watching the person until help arrives.

Disclaimer: This article is general information only and is not medical advice. Lifeguard seasons, beach rules and conditions change – always follow lifeguards, local signs and the emergency services.