- EDITIONS: Spanish News Today Murcia Today Alicante Today
Date Published: 15/02/2022
ARCHIVED - Almeria imposes 1,278 fines for illegal campervan parking
60% of the sanctions handed down in the Andalucía city were in the summer months
The exponential increase in wild camping, especially since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, has prompted the Andalusian government to crack down on illegal parking, particularly in protected areas like the Cabo de Gata-Nijar national park in Almeria.
According to the Territorial Delegation of Sustainable Development, 2021 saw the highest number of complaints for illegal camping and overnight stays, in what it considers “the jewel of the natural heritage of Almeria”. A total of 1,278 fines were handed down, with 60% of the total earned during the busier summer months.
Wild campers are prohibited from parking between sunset and sunrise, and the initiative called for a lot of manpower to move people on from protected areas. In addition, traffic patrols were required to ensure that mobile homes did not block emergency exits or access roads.
The majority of the fines issued were for camping overnight in restricted areas; sanctions for this illegal behaviour can range anywhere from 601 euros to 60,000 euros for serious infractions.
Tourism is booming already this year in Andalucía, with hundreds of Central European visitors flocking to the beaches of the Almeria coast, and residents and business owners have applauded the action taken against illegal campers to maintain the integrity of the Cabo de Gata-Níjar natural park.
The president of the Association of Tourist Entrepreneurs of the park, Francisco Garcia, has called on the city council to make life even more difficult for motorhome owners in a bid to encourage them back to authorised campsites.
“It is not the image that the natural park should give, there are caravans parked on rural roads, trails and remote places, isolated strategic areas with good views, privileged sites that are not enabled for these vehicles,” he said.
In neighbouring Murcia, caravans were discovered parking illegally on protected natural beaches in a boom in motorhome tourism over Christmas.
Image: Archive
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