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Cartagena chiringuitos finally start to open after countless delays
After months of red tape and frustration, some Cartagena beach bars are back just as summer hits its stride
It’s been a long and bumpy road, but Cartagena’s chiringuitos are finally starting to open. With summer already in full swing, many beach bars along the coast are only now getting back to business after months of delays, paperwork headaches and unanswered pleas for flexibility.
Some owners had all their permits and approvals sorted months ago. They paid their fees, made the required changes and waited. And waited. The result has been an empty coastline during what should have been the busiest part of the season.
Now, after completing the last of the required modifications, several chiringuitos are finally serving drinks again. In La Manga, beachgoers can once again spot the familiar sight of kiosks on the sand, although without the usual walkways or storage sheds. Sunbeds have been placed at a distance and waiters are trudging across hot sand to serve cold drinks.
Despite pressure from the City Council and hospitality association Hostecar, most of the requests made by the would-be beach bar owners to the central government’s Coastal Authority were rejected. A detailed proposal outlined eight main points, including a longer season from March to December, permission for storage areas, closer access to toilets, shorter distances between sunbeds and the possibility to rent umbrellas at Cala del Barco.
Only one request was granted – to remove the rule that sunbeds have to be 100 metres apart.
Still, the City Council has pushed ahead with getting the remaining lots sorted. According to local officials, 31 of the 33 beach bar sites have now been awarded. The only exceptions are Punta Brava, which had no applicants, and the Vivero lot, which was denied authorisation by the Coastal Authority.
The process for awarding sunbed and toilet services has also changed. In the past, these were handled through simple negotiated deals. Now, they are tied directly to the hospitality concessions. Seven out of eight of these additional lots have been awarded, with the only vacant one again on Playa del Vivero. No bids were submitted this year after new restrictions were introduced.
Progress finally came at a meeting on Thursday July 10, when six more beach bars were approved.
One of the two chiringuitos in La Azohía received a single bid. Three businesses competed for the lot at Playa de los Alemanes, while the contract for El Portús beach was awarded to Sánchez y Caballero Steel Cement.
In Islas Menores, Levante Beach was saved from losing its beach bar altogether after three bids came in. Poniente Beach will now be managed by the same team behind La Manga’s Blue Fish restaurant.
The council is also still working through the final details of the 19 water sports services, which are in a separate round of bidding. That process is expected to wrap up soon, with a deadline for applications set for this Friday July 11.
In other news: New owners set to take over FC Cartagena
Image: Concepcion AMAT ORTA… via Wikimedia Commons
