Living on the costa

Several social and business groups of the city have gathered this Sunday on the beach of La Bajadilla from Marbella to start a march that ran along the promenade in order to ask the central government to promote coastal stabilization projects, which has been attended by around half a thousand people.

The president of the Association of Hotel Entrepreneurs of the Costa del Sol (Aehcos) and spokesperson for the initiative, José Luque, has been satisfied with the response that the call has had, called ‘Marbella for its beaches’, stating that this is “the beginning of a social movement that if we all get up from the sofas we will get the Government to react so that let’s have our beaches fixed before 2025 ”.

The initiative “aims to claim that the central government speed up the regeneration of beaches ”, Luque has indicated, remarking that “We can’t wait until 2025 for a beach in Marbella to be in good condition”.

“Marbella deserves beaches for its quality like other luxury tourist destinations have”, something that “is fundamental not only for companies, but also for citizens”, Has referred the business representative.

On the other hand, it has highlighted “the disaster that has been the last storm of the east and the consequences that it has brought “, for which he has stressed that”there is no choice but to stabilize the sand”. “We do not want to do anything more than stabilize the sand, it can be done environmentally and it is a matter of their interest”, he concluded. For his part, the president of the Emerging Spigots Association for Marbella, José Miguel Lima, has stated that the collective advocates “the human factor“, Highlighting that” we are super happy and super proud of the people of Marbella for attending this request for this little walk ”.

“We want the Government to carry out the project as soon as possible that you have put into your hands, we are not willing to wait several years, and we want you to do it urgently ”, exclaimed Lima, who has alluded to the effects of the eastern storm of the weekend on the coast.

On the other hand, Lima has advanced that other mobilizations are planned, pointing out that “the next will surely be in the San Pedro area“And that the districts in which the new movement ‘Marbella for its beaches’ will act will alternate” according to the times and the response that the State gives us to this demonstration. “

Over the stabilization projects for the west beaches of Marbella, which include from the Puerto Deportivo Virgen del Carmen and up to El Ancón; and San Pedro Alcántara, has recalled that have already gone to “public information”, “a couple of allegations” have been presented and “we are waiting for the works to be tendered”, so “it is already a matter of choosing a company that does the work and that they start working as soon as possible.”

The president of the Association of Merchants and Professionals of the Old Town of Marbella, (ACOPROCAMAR), Carola Herrero, has indicated that for the group she represents “the beach is a very important element, both for tourists and for neighbors, while regretting that in the project presented by the Central Executive to stabilize the coast of Marbella the submerged breakwater in the La Bajadilla area “has been eliminated”.

“We believe that La Venus beach has to regenerate like all of them, because it belongs to the town of Marbella “, stressed the business representative, who stressed the importance that the coast has for trade, since”we have sun and beach tourism, which is what the old town lives on ”.

Herrero has pointed out that when “large commercial areas were opened “the old town” has managed to survive thanks to tourism and focusing on a tourist clientele. If we lose the beaches right now, we will lose many customers and possibly the old town will lose a large part of its clientele ”.

In addition, it has valued that “Development has brought us to load the beaches”, Indicating that “Naturally they are not going to regenerate”, so “we need artificial help We want it to be as less aggressive as possible, but to regenerate the beaches ”.

The delegate of the Costa del Sol Beach Entrepreneurs Association, José Ravira, stressed that “stabilization of the coastline is essential” because “Marbella without breakwaters would lose the beaches”. The businessman has indicated that the storm has affected the hospitality businesses of the coast, with “The entrance of sand” in the establishments of the center and with “destroyed chiringuitos” in the west of the city or in Las Chapas, where “almost all of the terraces have collapsed”.

The president of the Federation of Neighborhood Associations in Marbella, Pilar Pedrazuela, has indicated that “the beaches are our beans “, highlighting that “In Marbella we all eat from the beaches” and “we need the breakwaters now ”. The neighborhood representative has recalled how in past decades “I have caught shrimp sitting on the breakwaters.” In this way, he has opined that “the defense of nature can be combined with people’s beans.”

In total, they have supported the march 12 collectives such as the Association of emerging breakwaters for Marbella, the Association of hospitality businessmen of the Costa del Sol (Aehcos), the Fishermen’s Association of Marbella, the Federation of neighborhood associations of Marbella and San Pedro de Alcántara, the Federation of associations of neighboring neighborhoods of Marbella, the Association of beach businessmen-Costa del Sol, the Business Association of Travel Agencies of the Autonomous Community of Andalusia (AEDAV), the Association of Merchants and Professionals of the Old Town of Marbella, the Association of Hoteliers of Málaga (MAHOS), the Rotary Club of Marbella, the San Pedro Alcántara Small and Medium Business Association (APYMESPA) and the Network of Entrepreneurs of Marbella.