ARCHIVED - Majority of Costa Blanca coastline will close for Noche de San Juan June 23 to 24

Only Calpe, Javea, Benissa, Teulada Moraira and Torrevieja in Alicante province will keep their beaches open.

The vast majority of beaches in Alicante province on the Costa Blanca will be closed to the public for the traditional Noche de San Juan bonfire celebrations, June 23 to 24.

Only five municipalities -  Calpe, Javea, Benissa, Teulada Moraira in the Marina Alta and Torrevieja in the Vega Baja - will remain open with reinforced police presence to prevent overcrowding and parties.

In Torrevieja for example, the beaches "are not closing", but there will be fixed surveillance in locations where people tend to gather, such as Los Náufragos and El Cura, where the Local Police, Guardia Civil and Civil Protection will carry out round-the-clock patrols.

However, elsewhere in the Vega Baja, Orihuela plans to close its 11 beaches completely from 7pm on June 23 until the following morning and police resources "will be reinforced".

The same 'beach ban' will apply in the province's main resorts, Santa Pola, El Campello and Alicante in L’Alacantí comarca, Elche in the Baix Vinalopó and Benidorm and Denia in the Marina Baixa, with the coastlines reopening to the public at 10am on June 24.

In the latter municipality, a "costly police effort" will be made to keep the 20 km of beaches empty, while all local authorities are appealing for "caution" due to the "current health situation", adding that "there will be years ahead to celebrate, and we cannot risk an outbreak of contagion for one night".

IMAGE: Ayuntamiento de Villajoyosa