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Date Published: 06/03/2024

Orihuela Costa beach bars will not be ready for Easter, according to the PSOE

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The local government has just two weeks to reopen the 11 chiringuitos on the Orihuela Costa

Orihuela Costa beach bars will not be ready for Easter, according to the PSOE

It’s the news every resident of and visitor to the Orihuela Costa has been dreading, but political party PSOE has said today (March 4) that it is certain that the area’s 11 beach bars, which have now been out of action for 13 months, won’t be open for Easter, as was promised by the regional government.

While the new local government, spearheaded by the new Councillor for the Costas Manuel Mestre, has been racing against the clock to sort out the overdue contracts and budgeting blunders left behind by the previous administration, the opposition is adamant that it simply can’t be pulled off in time for Holy Week.

After studying all the paperwork, they explained that "a total of 17 companies have submitted to the tender that began in November, but four were not accepted because they were out of time.

“Right now the reports are being prepared for the remaining 13 offers, but the process still has a long way to go, it is impossible for the beach bars to be awarded and put into operation before Palm Sunday," concluded councillor María García.

There are now just two weeks left before the beginning of the Easter holidays when hoards of tourists are expected to descend on the Orihuela Costa and by that date, six of the 11 beach bars, or chiringuitos, are supposed to be fully operational: la Glea in Campoamor, Cala Capitán in Cabo Roig, Cala Cerrada in la Zenia and Cala Estaca in Playa Flamenca, in addition to Cala Bosque (la Zenia) and La Caleta (Cabo Roig), which will eventually be allowed to remain open all year round.

And there’s yet another fly in the ointment, since the Provincial Coastal Service has to give the final authorisation. At the moment, the Coastal Department is still awaiting publication of the permit in the Official State Gazette (BOE). Moreover, this type of approval has a 20-day window for submitting allegations, meaning that the final decision would not be made until more than two weeks have passed.

Locals were already feeling uneasy after the government said it had a Plan B, which guarantees toilets, lifeguard services and walkways on the beaches, on the off chance the chiringuito contracts wouldn’t be ready on time. Now, the PSOE is questioning if even this will come to fruition.

Municipal sources are still optimistic that they will meet their deadline but there’s no doubt that time is running out.

In other news: Orihuela Costa residents forced to clear green areas themselves as council continues to slack off

Image: La Zenia Facebook group

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