The municipality with the most blue flags faces a summer without beach bars or toilets

"This year there is a lower influx of users to the beaches of Orihuela, most likely due to the lack of essential services, such as toilets, beach bars, sunbeds and umbrellas, walkways, lifeguards, etc.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
22 June 2023 Thursday 10:53
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The municipality with the most blue flags faces a summer without beach bars or toilets

"This year there is a lower influx of users to the beaches of Orihuela, most likely due to the lack of essential services, such as toilets, beach bars, sunbeds and umbrellas, walkways, lifeguards, etc. It is It is likely that many people prefer to go to the beaches of the neighboring coastal municipalities, which have better services".

The complaint comes from the Cabo Roig and Lomas-Orihuela Costa Neighborhood Association, and refers to the non-existence of toilets and beach bars on the eleven beaches that cover no less than 16 kilometers of coastline in the capital of the Vega Baja region of Alicante.

On the 16th, the Orihuela Costa Independence Party organized a public protest and sent a letter to the new municipal government team, which yesterday afternoon had not yet responded. Keep in mind that the corporation has just changed hands. After the well-known motion of censure that deposed Emili Bascuñana (PP), the socialist Carolina Gracia took over the command rod, which after the May 28 elections she has recovered for the PP, with the support of Vox, José Vegara. The Playas delegation falls precisely on Manuel Mestre, leader of Vox.

"Our beaches are recognized and accredited by the official certifications of the organizations and institutions that monitor and control the quality criteria," proclaims the official Orihuela Tourism website. And it is true, because only Sanxenxo and Vigo display more flags on their sandbanks, but no Spanish municipality surpasses Alicante in banners per kilometer. One of the problems that a lack of services can cause is precisely the loss of one of these recognitions.

Aware that it would be difficult for the new municipal government team to tender a new contract and comply with the procedures in time to resolve the problem immediately, the PIOC has proposed in writing to the councilor that, as a matter of urgency, "hire the previous company for the essential time until the tender is made and the problem of the beach bars is corrected".

"We are talking about the previous company because we understand that it would be the one that could provide the service most quickly," they explain, before adding that "the biggest problem will surely be the legal reserve, but surely the city council officials or even some external advice could indicate the way to solve this enormous problem". At the moment, there has been no response, nor has the City Council contacted the previous concessionaire Bfun Group, which operated the service in recent years under the trade name Los chiringuitos del sol.