Planned water park for drought stricken Coín

An ecotourism and sports megaproject is planned for the outskirts of Coín, which will include a lake for kitesurf practice. It is planned for construction in 2025, and the locals aren’t happy about it.

‘Transcendence’ has been proposed to be built in the Llanos de Matagallar, in Coín, and is currently going through the process of obtaining the necessary licences. Meanwhile, in Coín town itself, there have been protests and a public petition by local groups under the hashtag #noconmigua, who are vehemently against the plan due to the amount of water it would use in an area that has suffered severe water shortages continually for the last two years.

Water Park requires large wave pools, artificial rivers, and lakes

The Transcendence promoters promise it will offer 700 direct jobs and up to 2,000 indirect positions, which would make it the biggest employer in the area. In recent months, the project has been under the scrutiny of various governmental bodies, including the Public Hydraulic Domain and Water Quality Services and the Protected Natural Areas department of the Junta de Andalucía. However, none of the departments have found a single incompatibility in the project proposal, dubbing it ‘the most environmentally sustainable’ proposal for the land.

In Coín, the campaign group ‘Mesa del Agua’ claims the project would be a significant drain on the already exhausted aquifer below the plateau where the project is planned, which serves water to the town and its surrounds. Many of the sports activities proposed in the Transcendence project are based on water and will require large wave pools, artificial rivers, and lakes for private enjoyment. 

It will also have more than 500 cabins for tourist accommodation, as well as hospitality and leisure centres, with the consequent water consumption that this would entail. In addition, it is an area considered by the Andalusian Government as a space of ‘very high vulnerability to pollution’.

With no objections whatsoever from regional government departments, the cry of ‘No con mi agua’ (not with my water) we can expect will become more intense over the coming months.