250-car limit at Cabo de Gata

Costa de Almería

RESIDENTS in San Jose, Nijar, held a protest against the Junta de Andalucia’s decision to allow 150 cars per day to access the beaches of the Cabo de Gata Nijar Natural Park. They demanded better access roads, and requested that the Environmental Department allow 450 cars to enter. The provincial delegate, Clemente Garcia, rejected the proposal. At one point, they lifted the barriers to allow cars to enter freely.

Business owners and residents in the area finally accepted the offer from Garcia to allow 250 cars to enter every day, despite the fact that they don’t consider it to be enough.

Meanwhile, environmentalists are up in arms for the opposite reason, as they believe the San Jose residents are acting irresponsibly and that the whole park should remain a protected area.

In response to this, residents have said that they need to do something to attract visitors to the area, and the park can either be isolated from everybody, or preferably for them, enjoyed and visited, while kept clean and in optimal condition for everybody.

To do so, nine cleaners will be employed.

Environmentalist group Condor maintains that only buses should be allowed to enter the park, as the arrival, en masse, of motorized vehicle would cause dust which is damaging to plants and frighten away autochthonous animals.