While tourists in Barcelona are at risk sprayed with water pistolsIn the town of Calpe on Spain’s Mediterranean coast, residents face another risk: they face a hefty fine if they reserve a spot on the beach for themselves.
The city council reminded beachgoers that press release According to the Municipal Ordinance for Coastal Use and Management, it is prohibited on Wednesday to set up items such as chairs, hammocks and parasols before 9:00 in the morning, so as not to hinder the cleaning up of the beaches.
Anyone who does not comply with this rule may be reported, their belongings may be confiscated and fines of €250 may be imposed.
Chairs, hammocks and umbrellas left unattended for more than three hours a day may be removed, the council said.
The company added that it has been receiving complaints for several years about people reserving a spot on the beach. Visitors arriving mid-morning find the beach already reserved for their belongings, but the owners nowhere to be seen.
The problem of space-consuming beachgoers is also a daily problem in the nearby holiday resort of Benidorm, according to local news site Information.
In recent months, there has been increasing resistance against holidaymakers in Spain and the Spanish islands.
Last month, the government of Barcelona, where thousands of people are protesting against mass tourism, announced that they bar apartment rental to tourists by 2028, because it wants to curb rising house prices and make the city liveable for its residents.
In May there were further measures against party boats and public drinking on the islands of Ibiza and Mallorca.
And in April, the locals in the Canary Islands protested against excessive tourismaccusing visitors of forcing them to leave their homes and causing damage to the environment.
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