Joshua Parfitt
VISITOR restrictions to an ecologically-sensitive cave on the Costa Blanca have not stopped un-authorised tourists from entering and even defecating in its interior.
The Cova Tallada, between Javea and Denia in the marine reserve of cabo de Sant Antoni, was the first beach in the Valencian Community to restrict access due to tourism pressure.
But local reports suggest rule-breakers are sneaking past guards by arriving before 9am – when security officials start work – and then staying throughout the day.
Visitors are supposed to pre-register through 10 days before their trip to make trip sure numbers do not exceed 482 in any one day.
But not only have studies detailed the ecological fragility of the cave towards human pressure above this number, but the unauthorised entrants have been spotted leaving rubbish in the cave.
In one picture a water collection tank, designed to gather filtered H20 filtering from the ceiling, was even soiled with human faeces.
