Santa Pola’s Museo del Mar is heading towards a record-breaking year after welcoming 133,145 visits so far in 2026. The figure is already closing in on the almost 150,000 visits recorded throughout the whole of last year, with the museum’s network of historic and cultural attractions continuing to draw visitors to the coastal town.

Museo del Mar approaches annual visitor record

Santa Pola’s Museo del Mar is heading towards a record year after attracting 133,145 visits so far in 2026, already approaching the almost 150,000 recorded during the whole of last year.

The museum complex includes its main exhibitions inside the Castillo Fortaleza, covering the history and ethnography of the sea and fishing, music, archaeology and local history.

The castle also hosts a changing programme of national and international art exhibitions, adding to the range of attractions available within the historic building.

Museum network extends beyond Castillo Fortaleza

Several external sites form part of the museum, including the Mediterranean Aquarium, the preserved Esteban Gonzalez fishing boat and Portus Ilicitanus, the Roman port which operates as an open-air museum.

Visits remain free, including guided activities, workshops, concerts and talks.

The combination of permanent exhibitions, archaeological attractions and cultural activities means the Museo del Mar extends well beyond a traditional museum building, with different sites exploring Santa Pola’s history and its close relationship with the Mediterranean.

Aquarium and fishing boat closed for improvements

Two attractions are currently temporarily closed. The Aquarium is undergoing improvements and new museum installations, while the Esteban Gonzalez is receiving major restoration work to its hull.

Both are expected to reopen in December.

Portus Ilicitanus has also experienced temporary closures during archaeological excavations and work to install a protective shaded structure over part of the remains.

La Picola will join museum network in 2027

The museum network is set to expand again in 2027 with the addition of the La Picola archaeological site.

The Iberian and Roman site is being prepared for visitors through a €1.25 million project fully funded by Spain’s Ministry of Industry and Tourism.

Its addition will give visitors another archaeological attraction to explore as part of Santa Pola’s growing museum network, while the strong visitor figures recorded during 2026 put the Museo del Mar within reach of surpassing last year’s total.

Emergency services launched a major search operation in north-eastern Spain after a woman reportedly fell into a rain-swollen stream during torrential downpours, prompting fears she may have been swept away by the powerful current.

The incident happened in Cabrera de Mar, in Barcelona province, on Saturday evening, October 17, as heavy rainfall affected parts of Catalonia.

Firefighters from the Bombers de la Generalitat were mobilised after receiving an emergency alert at 7.41pm reporting that a person had fallen into a riera, a normally smaller watercourse that can become dangerously fast-flowing during periods of intense rain.

Six firefighting units were initially deployed to search for the missing woman, with the operation involving Catalonia’s regional police, the Mossos d’Esquadra, and Spain’s Maritime Rescue service.

The search was continuing in the latest reports, with no confirmed outcome available at the time of publication.

Emergency teams continue to search for missing woman

The operation brought together several emergency services to locate the woman following the reported fall.

The firefighters confirmed the deployment in a post on social media, announcing that crews were working alongside the Mossos d’Esquadra and Salvamento Marítimo.

The involvement of maritime rescue teams highlights the potential danger posed by fast-moving watercourses during severe weather, particularly where a stream flows towards the coast.

The incident occurred in the Maresme area, a coastal region north-east of Barcelona that experienced particularly heavy rainfall on Saturday afternoon and evening. The Vallès Oriental area was also among the parts of Catalonia that recorded significant precipitation during the same period.

Firefighters confirmed on Sunday morning, October 18, that the search had continued throughout the night and into the early hours, but there had been no new developments.

Heavy rain raises concerns across Catalonia

The search operation unfolded as thunderstorms and intense rainfall affected several areas of Catalonia, raising concerns about sudden flooding and dangerous conditions near waterways.

A riera can appear relatively harmless during dry weather but may fill rapidly when heavy rain falls, creating strong currents capable of carrying away people and vehicles.

Such watercourses are a particular hazard during Mediterranean storms, when intense rainfall can fall over a short period and cause water levels to rise quickly. Emergency authorities have repeatedly warned residents to avoid attempting to cross flooded streams, rivers and underpasses during periods of heavy rain. Even shallow-looking water can conceal a strong current, while the depth and speed of the flow may change rapidly as further rain arrives upstream.

Search comes amid severe weather

The incident adds to concerns about the impact of the unsettled weather affecting north-eastern Spain.

The Maresme, where Cabrera de Mar is located, was among the areas experiencing the heaviest rainfall on Saturday, according to reports. Emergency crews faced the challenge of searching in conditions made more difficult by the weather and the possibility of fast-moving water.

Drivers in Alhaurin de la Torre are being warned of a new fixed speed camera roughly 200 metres from the Rotonda del Encuentro, in the direction of the prison.

The alert comes from the local social-media account Fuengirolasequeja, which says that the warning sign is already up on the roundabout itself. The Rotonda del Encuentro, on Avenida Ciudad de Ceuta, is the junction most people know as the one next to the Shell service station.

The appearance of the camera has prompted discussion about who installed it. Several recent fixed units in the area, including the one on the A-404 between Alhaurin el Grande and Coin near Miralmonte, and others on the A-7 near Puerto Banus, share a similar design and have been linked to the DGT’s wider programme of new cinemómetros on secondary roads. The Rotonda del Encuentro lies on the A-404, a regional road that already appears on DGT mobile-radar maps.

Alhaurin de la Torre’s own council has installed a number of municipal cameras in recent years (on Avenida de las Americas, Europa, Democracia, Ceuta and elsewhere), typically TRUCAM systems operated by the Policia Local. The newly reported unit has not been confirmed by either the Ayuntamiento or the DGT.

Social-media reaction has been hugely sceptical. Commenters have accused the authorities of prioritising revenue, joked about the copper content of the equipment (as a light-hearted hint to thieves), and argued that money would be better spent repairing roads and adding cycle lanes. Others simply listed copious amounts of other speed cameras already operating nearby (near the Mercadona roundabout, past the technology park towards Malaga and Cartama, etc.). A smaller number of responses defended enforcement, saying careful drivers have nothing to fear.

No official statement has yet confirmed the exact location, operator or activation date. Drivers using the Rotonda del Encuentro and the road towards the prison are advised to watch for the warning sign and observe the posted limit.