James Warren
BEACH-GOERS in Nerja have been warned that reserving spots on restricted beaches is strictly prohibited after a spate of complaints.
The councillor for beaches, Maria del Carmen Lopez, announced on Saturday that anyone caught using items to ‘reserve’ an area of sand will be sanctioned and their items removed.
The Nerja town council has received complaints from residents and tourists of items such as chairs, parasols, tables and bags being left unattended early in the morning, which led to this weekend’s stern warning.
“We are receiving numerous complaints from neighbors and visitors regarding the reservation of space on the beaches, a reality that is becoming an unfair and irresponsible practice by some users of the beaches” said Lopez in her statement.
“We would like to remind residents that the reservation of areas of beach is strictly prohibited and our beach patrols reserve the right to remove any items deemed abandoned.”
Nerja’s beaches are regularly reaching full capacity on the weekend, with queues of up to 30 people waiting at entrance points for the signs to be lifted.
Waits of up to an hour have been reported at the beaches of Calahonda, Torrecilla and El Salon with the occasional altercation breaking out between impatient beach-goers.
Nerja council also announced last week that it would be joining Marbella in imposing a curfew on its most popular beaches to help prevent large gatherings of youths throughout the night.
Since last Wednesday, access to the beaches is prohibited between the hours of midnight and 6.00am
