Local beaches dangerously busy

DENIA saw a bumper summer with a huge influx of tourists taking to the gorgeous beaches of the Costa Blanca North, but residents may be weighing up the cost-benefit analysis after it was revealed that they left a record volume of trash in their wake. 

In August alone, more than 30,000 kg of waste was scrubbed from Denia’s beaches, more than a third of the volume cleaned up last year and a reminder that the authorities need to be more proactive if Denia’s pristine environment is to be maintained. 

‘Creating an environmentally sustainable’ city is one of the priorities of the Socialist-run council, backed by Compromis, but overcrowding is becoming an ever more pressing issue. Given that the vast majority of offenders are tourists, public awareness campaigns have so far had little impact. 

Denia is taking a stricter approach to a similar problem in a different area, announcing new plans to prevent severe overcrowding at the Cova Tallada, a scenic hotspot within the Montgo natural park close to Xabia. 

Accessible by land and sea, the natural wonder sees kayakers, hikers, tourists, swimmers, paddlers and boats all conglomerate in the caves and waters, leading to a chaotic, dangerous and environmentally disastrous situation. 

Measures will include regulating trips offered by tour companies and improving safety conditions, including installing extra railings and barriers to prevent a tragedy which could happen ‘any day,’ according to environment councillor Josep Crespo.