If you venture up into the Barrio San Miguel, Almuñécar, where the castle stands, you will find at least two streets cordoned off with work barriers or fences: Calle Clavelico and Calle Nueva.

The reason for this is that there are about 20 houses in the old town that are in a ruinous state, which have reached this level of deterioration either because the owners have died or they are not here; i.e., live elsewhere.

The Chairwoman of the neighbourhood association for the Barrio de San Miguel, Mercedes Medina warns that that many of these uninhabited houses are “melting away like butter,” mostly because of the damp. She says that the locals are worried that there couldl be a lamentable tragedy around the corner if something is not done about it.

The chief opposition party, the CA, accused the Mayor, Trinidad Herrera of neglecting this tourist attraction and allowing things to arrive at the state. Only, claims the party Spokesperson, when one house is on the verge of collapsing does the Town Council act and fence off the street, which in turns makes life difficult for the elderly residents who find themselves having to take long detours to cross the barrio.

The Councillor for the Environment, Luis Aragón, counters that the Town Council is very much on top of the situation but that they have to keep within the restrictions of the law; i.e., contacting the owners and obliging them to do something about their dangerous properties, or if not, obtaining a court order to move in and demolish them themselves. All this takes time.

(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)