A coastal scenery assessment was carried out at 50 sites along the 910 km long Andalusia coast (SW Spain) using a checklist of 26 natural and human parameters, parameter weighting matrices, and fuzzy logic. A scenic classification was utilised that can rate sites as Class I (natural areas of great scenic beauty) to Class V (urbanised areas of poor scenic interest), but, for this study, only natural sites of great scenic value were investigated; 41 sites were included in Class I, 9 in Class II and, apart from four, all of the sites were under some feature of protection—managed by the Andalusia Environmental Agency (RENPA, in Spanish). Sites belong to the Natural Park Cabo de Gata-Nijar (24% of sites), the Natural Park of Gibraltar Strait (18%), the Natural Place Acantilado de Maro-Cerro Gordo (12%), and the Natural and National parks of Doñana (8%). Results obtained by means of scenic evaluation constitute a sound scientific basis for any envisaged management plan for investigated coastal areas preservation/conservation and responsible future developments, especially for natural protected areas, which represent the most attractive coastal tourist destinations. With respect to natural parameters, excellent scenic values appeared to be linked to the geological setting and the presence of mountainous landscapes related to the Betic Chain. Human parameters usually show good scores because null or extremely reduced human impacts are recorded, but, at places, conflicts arose between conservation and recreational activities because visitors are often interested in beach activities more so than ecotourism. Low scores of human parameters were often related to litter presence or the unsuitable emplacement of utilities, such as informative panels, litter bins, etc.

This paper focuses on the study of landscape quality of Moroccan Mediterranean coastal areas, with a view to distinguishing exceptional beaches with high scenic value. The main characteristics of 50 beaches along the studied coast were assessed using a coastal scenic evaluation system based on a set of 26 selected parameters, including physical (18) and human (8) parameters. Each parameter was examined via a five-point rating scale, ranging from presence/absence or poor quality (1) to excellent quality (5). A decision index (D) is afterward obtained and used to classify sites into five classes: Class I: D ≥ 0.85, which included 9 sites (18%); Class II: 0.85 > D ≥ 0.65, 10 sites (20%); Class III: 0.65 > D ≥ 0.40, 8 sites (16%); Class IV: 0.40 > D ≥ 0.00, 16 sites (32%); and Class V: D < 0.00, 7 sites (14%). The sites of Belyounech 2, Maresdar, El Hwad, and Dalya are the best examples of Class I and represent extremely attractive coastal landscapes. The sites of Ghandouri, Tangier Municipal, M’Diq, Martil, and Tangier Malabata are examples of degraded urban sites that are very unattractive due to high human pressures. Management efforts in Moroccan coastal landscapes can strengthen the control of human activities and improve the scenic value of the sites. Class II beaches, such as Mrisat, Souani, Taourirt, and Sfiha, could improve and upgrade to Class I through litter cleaning and a regular maintenance program. Using the same principle, Class III sites, such as Sidi Amer O Moussa and Sidi Driss, could improve and upgrade to Class II. Indeed, litter and sewage appear as the main factors of degradation of Moroccan coasts, and many excellent beaches are strongly affected by them. This should be a wakeup call to the Moroccan authorities to take urgent and appropriate management measures.

Coasts worldwide face a great variety of environmental impacts, as well as increased anthropogenic pressures due to urbanization and rapid population growth. Human activities menace ecosystem services and the economy of coastal countries, often based on “Sun, Sea and Sand” (3S) tourism. The five parameters of greatest importance (the “Big Five”) for beach visitors are safety, facilities, water quality, no litter and scenery, and the characterization of the latter was recently carried out by means of a checklist of 26 natural and human parameters, parameter weighting matrices and fuzzy logic, according to the “Coastal Scenic Evaluation System” (CSES) methodology. In order to propose sound coastal management strategies, the main aim of this paper is to propose a method to determine the scenic sensitivity of (i) natural parameters to coastal natural processes in a Climate Change context and (ii) human parameters to visitors’ pressure in a scenario of increasing tourism and coastal developments. Regarding natural parameters, the sensitivity of “Beach face” and “Dunes” parameters is determined according to an Erodibility Index with a Correction Factor, taking into account wave forcing characteristics, tidal range and trends at a local scale of Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge. This establishes a Sensitivity Index to natural processes. A site’s scenic sensitivity to human pressure/activities was determined by considering the sensitivity of several human parameters of the CSES method according to beach typology and access difficulty together with the Protection Area Management Category to which a site belongs. A Human Impact Index is obtained, which is afterwards corrected by taking into account local trends of tourism pressure, establishing a Sensitivity Index to human pressure. Finally, a total Sensitivity Index considering both natural processes and human pressure is obtained, and sites divided into three sensitive groups. The results can be useful to limit and prevent environmental degradation linked to natural processes and tourism development, and also to suggest measures to improve the scenic value of investigated sites and their sustainable usage. The method was tested for 29 sites of great scenic quality along the Mediterranean coast of Andalusia, Spain.