Madrid, which was mocked in a 1980s Spanish song for having no beach, will soon be able to enjoy Europe's largest artificial beach, complete with 25 square kilometers of water and 15 square kilometers of sand.
Alovera Beach is under construction a half hour from the city (and technically in the next province, but shhhh....) will open in 2023, and is expected to host 250,000 to 400,000 visitors a year. The project, which also includes parkland and parking, has a price tag of $15.6 million. A U.S. company, Crystal Lagoons, is partnered with the project.
The beach is not without controversy; a number of Spain's political parties have questioned filling the newly-created lagoon with drinking water taken from local supply, as well as overall local costs. Developers claim the environmental load is lower than conventional park irrigation and will use less chemicals than normal swimming pools.
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