A reader from Carchuna writes because the camper-van presence has become a problem for locals when it comes to finding parking for themselves
I live in La Chucha, Carchuna. The beach has always been used by locals for fishing and family visits and we have always also had visitors in camper vans who we have historically been harmonious with.
The situation with camper vans camping has accelerated in the past months. As I write, we have large vans from Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Switzerland and France; twelve today and this is now usual.
Often I have seen more vans arrive and have to turn and leave because there is no room. I don’t see the local people any more, presumably because they can’t park. Many times we can’t access the beach easily because the vans are so close together.
The bushes at the side of the beach are strewn with toilet paper and faeces and smell very strongly of urine. Despite sending photographs to the ELA they say they can’t do anything about it.
There is a website guiding people to many sites along the coast. Does anyone know of other areas where people are experiencing problems with overuse of caravan parking please? And, if so, what action if any has been taken by the local authorities.
We sound like horrible people complaining about the caravan problem. We never said anything about 2, 3 caravans. Now we have up to 15 sometimes, day after day. La Chucha is not a camping site. Why should I have my view covered by all these vans?
Why must they have there dogs lose and bothering mine if I have to take my dogs out on a lead? I pick up my dogs poos, they don’t.
Even the humans pee and poo every where. It stinks here. It is disgusting.
All these caravans , when have had enough of our beach, drive off somewhere else, we are left with their smells…
We will keep on complaining until something is done to regulate this issue. It has been done in other places.
It is/was the same situation on the small beach at Barranco de Enmedio. There used to be up to 27 various vans parked on the beach – most of them converted lorries, horse-boxes, fire-engines etc. Even a mobile library! The amount of human waste left was both amazing and disgusting. We found it impossible to take the dogs there.
Last year somebody official erected posts restricting vehicular access to the beach. This has helped hugely in preventing the problem. However, there are still some die-hards who park in the small turning area, consequently, the amount of human and dog waste lying around has decreased considerably.
The access is down a very steep dirt track which is very easy to drive down, but very many seem incapable of driving back up without destroying the track, which is mainly used by local cars and the farmers.
A sign is needed at the top of the track by the N340 to warn them not to go down, as the current signs forbidding camping and overnight parking are actually on the beach, after negotiating the dirt track!
Hi! I completely agree with you. I walk my dogs along the cane walk and it’s even disgusting for them to enter it! If we have to pick up our dogs droppings, why don’t they pick up their own?? This is not a camping site: no WC, no electricity, so they should not come and stay… And don’t get me started with their dogs: most of them are lose and poo anywhere and none are picked up.
Something has to be done. This is a beach, not a caravan parking area.