There is a nationwide, camper-van/caravan club which is not very happy with Nerja and Torre del Mar over the treatment of their members there.

For this reason, lapeka.org, has called upon its club members and sympathisers to participate in a march between these two coastal towns within Axarquía.

The 3-day protest march will take place on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th of this month.

According to the club Spokesperson, both of these seaside towns are ‘known’ to camper-van users for their restrictive postures to the presence of this kind of recreational vehicle (RVs).

In Torre del Mar camper-van visitors are not allowed to spend the night within the municipality, whereas in Nerja, they’re not even allowed to park.

The club, Peka, considers these measures to be “clearly discriminatory” as they are not based on any safety concerns and run against the norms established by the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), which provides the guide lines on how municipalities should regulate parking for RVs.

Furthermore, Peka says that they have been trying to get some response from both of these town halls but so far have only received evasive replies. The result of this failed diplomacy is the planned protest march, which will be just the first of a course of actions that the club has lined up.

This conflict goes back to the beginning of 2019 when many RVs were camping on or near El Playazo in Nerja. Come March 2020, the Town Hall went out and fined the lot in response to complaints from locals.

Remember, March 2020 there was a complete lock down and these stranded tourists found themselves in a turmoil of confusion – seemingly unable to stay yet unable to leave.

Editorial comment: the PP, in order to obtain a majority and gain the mayoralty,  made a governing pact with the extreme-right party, Vox. One of their campaign pledges was to provide an official parking area for this kind of visitor…

It is beyond comprehension that coastal towns whinge that they need more tourism but turn their nose up at this kind of affluent visitor, who contrary to the closed mindset of those that oppose their presence, do not lock themselves in and refuse to venture out and spend money in local restaurants, bars and other businesses. They should be welcoming them and not treating them like lepers.

(News: Nerja/Torre del Mar, Axarquia, Costa del Sol, Malaga, Andalucia – Photo: E.C.)