Locals are furious after swarms of tourist campervans took over over a stunning Spanish beach, enjoying a prime coastal spot without paying any fees, infuriating locals.
Saladar Beach, which is around 50 metres wide and a mile long, is a popular coastal area in Alicante thanks to its beautiful golden sands and range of amenities.
Despite there being clear signage prohibiting permanent parking, travelers – mainly from the UK, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium – stay for weeks on end, treating the area as a free campsite.
Many of these tourists set up chairs, tables, and tarpaulins occupying large areas of the coastline, some even illegally dump wastewater into a nearby nature reserve, according to The Olive Press.
The nature reserve offers a welcome escape into the midst of nature, with dunes and marshlands that were originally an important source of salt.
But locals are up in arms over the situation, complaining that the holidaymakers ignore clear parking regulations, take up masses of space and fail to pick up their rubbish.
Residents believe that tourists pretend not to understand complaints, even when spoken to in English or German.
One fumed: “They come with their dogs and leave the place full of excrement.”
In a bid to address the situation, locals believe the “councils should set up designated areas where they can coexist with residents and charge a fee”.
Despite the ever growing frustrations, locals are angered that the authorities have yet to take significant action as even more campervan travelers continue to arrive in hordes.
And now the issue has spread to Elche, where campervan travellers have started to flock to.
In December, Alicante Council announced they will not be granting new licences for tourist flats for the next two years.
Urban Planning councillor, Rocio Gomez, said the time would be used to review all the laws regarding tourist lets and “purify all those homes that do not comply with the regulations”.
She added that each of the city’s districts will be studied to establish an appropriate number of holiday homes in each neighbourhood.