Urbanisation cuts campsites by almost half

Pressure of urbanisation cuts camp sites in the region by almost half in 20 years

(From Noticias Jávea, Monday 20 February 2006 - translated by Maggie Morgan)

Construction companies seek plots on the coasts occupied by camping and caravan businesses

The Marina Alta is becoming without camping sites through the high urbanisation pressure to which promoters submit these tourist businesses which are located, in the majority of cases, on the ´first line´ of the beach. In the last two decades four sites have closed - two in Dénia, one in Jávea and another in Calpe.

In addition, in the region’s capital, the surface area of one of them – “Los Patos” - has been reduced in the area nearest the sea and the historic camping “Diana”, in the ´first line´ of the l´Estanyó beach , receives continuous visits from agents anxious to obtain the land for the construction a new residential complex of apartments touching the sand. In the surroundings of les Marines the “Los Llanos” also survives and in les Rotes “Tolosa” and “Los Pinos”.

The camping phenomenon came to the la Marina coast from the French countryside. In France, through caravans and tents, tourism in the ´50s and ´60s spread to the middle classes of European society, who did not need to acquire a house next to the beach to spend the summer. Rapidly, this tourist model spread but now it is in clear retreat. The region is going to be without a diversified choice of places to spend the holidays. The greatest speculation continues to be in residential tourism, which presupposes that future clients visiting the Marina Alta will have high buying power. The time of renting camping places has now passed into history and caravans of different nationalities have serious difficulty in finding places and the majority of times overnight on beaches or parking areas not prepared for camping, which generates an additional problem for the municipal authorities.

In the case of Jávea, in the ´90s the Camping Mediterráneo closed, situated then in the Primer Muntanyar, in a zone of intense urban development which has become todays´ Via Augusta. In fact, the lands of the establishment are now occupied by terraced houses. However, two camping sites remain open – the Jávea in the Pirits area and Los Naranjos in the Arenal.

Meanwhile, in Calpe the camping site which was situated on the banks of Las Salinas has recently closed its doors. It has disappeared precisely as a consequence of the urban plan which includes the construction in the zone of some 2,200 dwellings.

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