Judgement day for the caravaner (oooh, or might that be caravanister? Caravanman?) has arrived as Motril passes a new law banning the vans and stopping what they consider to be illegal campers from parking in the town. So, let’s be honest, to those of you who’ve ever participated in the sport, hands up, who has ever emptied their port-a-loo when they thought no-one was looking? Or set up their front room on the grounds of a car park?
Well, after repeated complaints from the neighbours, Tourism Councillor, Francisco Villoslada, has pushed through a law ridding the town of the motley crew of inconsiderate mobile home owners who, in their opinion, invade and spoil the coastline with their freeloading lifestyle.
Described as an ‘avalanche’ of vehicles that descend upon Playa Granada throughout summer, it’s considered that the hoards of caravans not only create an unsightly view but annoy the neighbours and do nothing to support the local camping grounds. They in turn claim that the caravans are ‘unfair competition;’ some even say their guests leave when they see the free campsites created by groups of caravaners.
So, mobile-home owners beware, fines will start at 90 euros and stretch up to 450 euros (for camping and being dirty) but you’re still permitted to drive around a bit and occasionally park as long as you’re not sleeping inside. Many of you well behaved campers out there may feel a little vindicated at this point, so if that’s the case, take yourself off to Salobreña where, upon facing the same problem, they have designated special spots for campers to park. And apparently they don’t have any problems with mess there either.
But is only how some; not all, see it. Many others consider that  if there are some caravan-borne visitors that cause problems through negligence, then they are the minority. The couples that tour around in these mobile residences bring money into the townships that they visit, because they do not, upon parking, lock the doors and hide until they decide to move on. They buy their groceries in the local shops, go out and eat in the local restaurants and have coffee and toast, just like everybody else, in the local cafés. They are neither hell raisers nor The Great Unwashed, but retired people with comfortable pensions, more often than not, from all over Europe that come here to enjoy our towns and spend their hard-earned cash.
Can it be that the some of the same people that complain that these visitors contribute little to the local community are the same ones that drive down to the Ingenio shopping centre in Vélez Málaga to do their shopping, instead of the local shops?