Torremolinos City Council has announced that visitors to a beach in the popular Costa del Sol resort in southern Spain will now have to cough up a fee to use three lifts that provide access.
The City Council stated on Wednesday, February 12 that the fee will be established “for each individual use of an elevator”.
The fee will be charged before using the lifts.
Two are located in Plaza Punta Tarifa, taking users from the town centre to the beachfront, and the third provides access between La Bateria Park and Carlota Alessandri Avenue.
The lifts will continue to be offered for free during a several-week trial period, after which the fee – set at one euro (83p) – will kick in.
This news comes just a few weeks after the panoramic lift in the La Bateria park was inaugurated – which stands at a height of 30 metres.
The Andalusian local authority will also offer a ten-trip pass at a price of 7.50 euros (£6.25), a 50-trip pass at 25 euros (£20.83) and a 100-trip pass for 40 euros (£33.33).
Children under the age of six, people over 65 and anyone with reduced mobility will be exempt.
The town hall said in a statement that a more economical way would be provided for those people who use the lifts regularly, “Guaranteeing a better connection between the different areas of the town”.
The City Council added: “The money raised will be used to create social employment, since workers from special employment centres will be responsible for collecting the fees for this service”.
Once a poor fishing village in the early 1950s, Torremolinos was the first of the Costa del Sol resorts to be developed with the tourism boom. It remains one of the most popular in the region, with over 67,000 visitors and 437,000 overnight stays from the Netherlands alone, according to EuroWeekly News.
Areas of the town are dotted with older high-rise residential buildings and hotels, but height limitations on new developments and a significant number of original old town properties have kept the town centre much more open than other popular resorts such as Benidorm.
Torremolinos boasts one of the best climates in Europe, with long, dry symmers with relatively low humidity and mild winters. It also benefits from cool sea breezes from Africa and temperatures stay around 30C in the summer, making it a perfect Mediterranean holiday destination.
The beach, which extends for nearly half a mile, has cycle and skating lanes alongside a fully illuminated promenade which houses many chiringuitos (beach bars and restaurants). The eastern end of the beach – Los Álamos – runs live dance music events throughout the summer.
