On the 6th of August Salobreña announced that it didn’t have enough money to replace the missing or damaged wooden walkways on the beaches – such was the state of the municipal coffers. Bathers were not happy.

The Councillor for Beaches, Maria Eugenia Rufino, says that she is fully aware of the problem and that the Town Hall had managed to obtain a small loan of 3,500 euros for the purchase of new wooden walkways.

At the beginning of the high season, wooden walkways are placed between the beach showers and the paseo, but the ones from the showers to the shore aren’t laid until after San Juan because people tend to use them as firewood on the celebratory bonfires, which are light on the night of San Juan.

The Councillor explained how this year that when they went to the storeroom to take out the stored platforms, they found them missing – somebody had stolen them. In fact, the only ones left behind were broken ones.

So, continued the councillor, they went out shopping for new ones only to find that the cheapest cost 80 euros a piece, giving a total cost of 30,000 euros (which by a quirk of coincidence is exactly five million pesetas). After more fishing around the Town Hall was offered 200 sections at a better price (17 euros each), but they were of pretty poor quality – they couldn’t even hold the weight of an 80-kilo person without breaking.

Now armed with 3,500 euros which would give them enough to put down just two walkways, they then found that the company that sold them were now on holiday – surprise! The only company that was open said that it would take 15 days to deliver them… just in time for the end of the high season.

The day was saved by the chiringuitos, as the Salobreña Asociación de Chiringuitos put up half the money needed to put down 200 metres of walkway. The Councillor was deeply grateful, thanking publicly its Chairman, Francisco Trujillo, who can be seen in the photo standing before a lorry load of palettes, shaking hands with the pleased councillor, Sr Rufino.

Admittedly, not all the entrances to the beach could be provided for – there are 27, which on some cases are separated from the shore by 60 metres of sand – all concerned are reasonably happy.

(News: Salobrena, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia – Photo: infocostatropical)