The mayor of a popular Spanish tourist destination has urged visitors to only come on certain days after the town “collapsed” due to heaving crowds. Brihuega in central Spain’s Guadalajara province is beloved by holidaymakers, with thousands of tourists flocking to see the famous lavender blooms outside the town, which stretch over 1,000 hectares.
The stunning spectacle attracts scores of visitors keen to get pictures of the eye-catching colours, with rows of the flowers disappearing into the distance. But while the attraction has played a key role in helping to address depopulation in the town and revive its fortunes economically, authorities have sounded the alarm about the sheer number of tourists that descend there in the blooming season.
According to reports, more than 100,000 people visited this month, while the community nearby is only has a population of around 3,000.
Brihuega mayor Luis Vuego told ABC newspaper: “I recommend visiting us from Monday to Thursday, please. It’s more difficult on weekends due to the large number of people who come.
“Last Saturday, for example, the town collapsed. I had a bad time. We work hard, we have a security committee, but it’s still a large turnout,” Mr Vuego said.
“That’s why I insist: please come from Monday to Thursday.”
Mr Vuego says as accessing the fields is free, the village authority doesn’t have the ability to impose limits on visitor numbers.
Brihuega itself has narrow streets which become flooded overflow with tourists when they’re in bloom, causing parking chaos, The Telegraph reports. The lavender tends to be in full bloom in July.
“Ahead of next year, we need to build a park-and-ride parking lot on the outskirts of the historic centre and connect it with shuttle buses,” Mr Viejo said.
The town has also recently opened its first five-star hotel, as it looks to broaden its appeal for travellers beyond the peak bloom season.
However, in spite of the issues the town has faced, the large numbers of tourists are said to have contributed €8m (£6.9million) to the regional economy this lavender season alone, as per EuroNews.
The local council has been approached for comment.
