Costa del Sol beach cleanup.
The torrential rain and storms of last December left many of the Costa del Sol’s beaches in need of repairs and a cleanup before the tourist season starts. Many areas along the coast were devastated, with stretches of sand suddenly shelving away. In addition, chiringuitos (beach bars) and other structures on the shoreline also bore the brunt of the storms. However, the government has promised everything will all be spruced up in time for Easter! Government delegate, Miguel Briones, announced the promise at the beginning of March. This is a significant concession from the Spanish government, which has been in a series of heated debates with the Costa del Sol’s mayors over who was going to fund the beach cleanup from Málaga to Marbella. It appears the local mayors triumphed. Marbella mayor, José Bernal, had been demanding a cash injection to tackle the destruction caused by the storms, but Briones initially responded by saying that Marbella had a €1.3m emergency fund, which would have to be sufficient to get the job completed on time for the holidays. In the end, the national government awarded Spain’s entire coastline a total sum of €16m for repairs, with the Costa del Sol receiving €4m. In addition to this, Marbella has secured an additional €8.3m from insurance cover to put towards the cleanup. This year, Easter falls on 16th April, so the work on the beaches must start by no later than the 15th March. This does not give municipal workers long to prepare for the Easter holidaymakers, but all parties concerned are confident that the beaches of the Costa del Sol will be as beautiful as ever come Easter.
