Illegal camp-site claims made by German expat

A GERMAN resident of Maro (Nerja) has denounced the existence of an illegal camp-site in the area of the Maro-Cerro Gordo cliffs.

Patrick Kundmüller, who stayed at the alleged illegal site for three months, has raised complaints about a situation which he described as ‘embarrassing’.

“There are several land plots where a German citizen and a French citizen are running an illegal camp-site. They offer huts and caves with beds, cupboards and even chairs and tables. They also offer spaces to place tents for visitors and a car park,” claimed Kundmüller, who continued: “They are well hidden within the bushes, so that they are not seen from the outside. They have hot water and a small pool as well as solar energy to charge mobile devices and computers. They are around five minutes away from the beach.”

He added that visitors are usually German and French citizens who find out about the place through online social platforms, and pay around €5 per person, per day.

Kundmüller also claims that the owners are selling untaxed avocados and custard apples in Germany and other countries through transport companies.

When questioned about the matter, the council said they had no knowledge about the alleged illegal site but that during the last year, Local Police in Nerja had dismantled half a dozen illegal camp-sites, where hundreds of kilos of waste had to be collected.

Council representatives added that the authorities would further investigate the matter.

The owner of the only legal camp-site in Nerja, located at the Maro exit, Peter Kemp, also claimed not to have any knowledge of the illegal site but did say that occupancy at his business had decreased dramatically during the past years, although he had put this down to the financial crisis and lack of surveillance by the authorities.