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Few places in the Region of Murcia are as quietly spectacular as Cuatro Calas, the four beautiful coves south of Águilas that attract visitors in their thousands every summer. But that popularity has come at a cost, and studies now show that more than 20,000 square metres of this protected natural area has already been damaged by the sheer volume of cars and caravans arriving each season.

 

The General Directorate of Natural Heritage, which manages this Natura 2000 protected site, has begun installing access controls at the entrances to the beaches. Height restriction barriers are going in at Los Cocedores, La Carolina and La Higuerica, while a closing gate is being installed at Calarreona following an agreement with the landowner. The works are already under way and will be fully operational in the autumn. The measures are intended to be permanent.

 

The damage already inflicted on this fragile environment is considerable. Loss of vegetation, fragmentation of the dune system, soil compaction, the opening of unauthorised tracks and a significant rise in litter have all been documented, alongside disturbance to wildlife and visible alteration of the landscape.

 

Environmental group Amacope has repeatedly highlighted conditions at La Carolina and Los Cocedores, describing the parking area as operating "as a permanent illegal campsite, with accumulation of waste and occupation of sensitive areas." The regional government has processed 50 complaints related to the area in just two years.

 

Caravans are identified as the most damaging vehicles and will be banned outright. Cars will still be permitted but parking areas will be clearly marked to prevent overcrowding. Emergency vehicles and delivery trucks for beach bars will retain guaranteed access.

 

It's also worth noting that Los Cocedores and La Carolina straddle the provincial border with Almería, with the Pulpí Town Hall sharing responsibility for that area. The regional government has been keeping Pulpí informed throughout to avoid the friction over access and parking management that has caused difficulties in the past.

 

The Águilas Ayuntamiento has been careful to distance itself from the measures, stressing they were neither decided nor promoted locally. "This information is being shared so that the public knows that these actions are in response to a decision made by the regional government," it stated. Interestingly, the Ayuntamiento had itself requested permission to install height restrictions two years ago, but that initiative never came to anything at the time.

 

Environmental restoration work will accompany the access controls once they are fully operational. For a coastline this special, it can't come soon enough.

 

 

Image: Ayuntamiento de Águilas