It's a nightmare finding somewhere to park in Almuñécar during fiesta week, not because there are too many people, but because the fairs occupy too much space.
Almuñécar main, surface parking area, Plaza Blas Infante where the Friday and Sunday markets are normally held in the off season, is completely occupied by the Feria during three weeks of August, which seems complete lunacy.
Then there is the provisional summer parking area next to the Medical Centre, which has been turned over to the Feria de Día, adding not only a further burden to scarce parking, but also crucifying local bars and restaurants.
Could not the area being used for the Fería de Día be used for the night-time feria? There wouldn’t be room for political-party temporary casetas and religious brotherhood ones? Well, isn’t that a pity!
Would the town’s hostelry trade lament the disappearance of the Fería de Día, that bleeds them of customers and which is financed through their taxes. I don’t really think so.
Then, why hold the fiestas patronales in August? To bring in tourism? It’s already swamped with tourists. Why not choose another time like San Juan at the very beginning of summer? Schools have broken up so families can come, the beach is ready for beachgoers and it would be a great boost for the town’s economy. Benavides suggested it once but the opposition parties accused him of wanting to make his saint’s day into the town’s day, for his own personal glory. Yeah, right!
Holding the Fiestas on the 15th of August, because once upon a time Almuñécar was a small fishing town, is counter productive to modern Almuñécar.
Those that want religious ceremonies have Semana Santa and for all that Christmas has become, it is still a moment of religious significance. And, by the way, whilst we are at it, let’s do away with the mystical migration of Semana Santa depending on the moon and 40 days of lent and fix it, as was Christmas in 336 AD to a specific date, such as the last full week of March, starting on a Thursday. This, obviously, is a national decision, not a municipal one.
So, summing up, without further digressions, Almuñécar will fill up in August even without the Fiestas Patronales on the 15th because it’s high summer and people from inland areas flock to the beaches. Spaces taken up by the ferias could be used for what they are most needed; parking areas. Change the Fiestas Patronales, which were chosen because Almuñécar was a fishing village, to San Juan, thus extending the tourism period.
Your thoughts?
(Opinion: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)
Richard: I am not into invisible entities lurking in the clouds. What I am into is looking at a complete mess and finding a solution. Whether Mary was a virgin or that she took a Virgin Airways flight to Cloudsville is irrelevant. I didn’t say that people could not celebrate it on the 15th but that there is a far better day for lumping a fun fair into Almuñécar, occupying the town’s largest surface parking area for three quarters of the busiest month of the year. And that is the summer solstice, just after the schools break up. If the God-botherers want to call it San Juan… great!
And whilst we are tidying up the calendar, do ask His Holiness to stop farting around with Easter and decided, once and for all, a clear date for Easter Friday and stick to it, such as the last Friday of March. 😉
I have just checked the temperature and yes, it is over 30 degrees. I glanced at my calendar and yes, it is 16th August. For a moment, I thought it was April 1st and someone was having a laugh.
Martin, the address you need is His Holiness Pope Francis, Casa Santa Marta, 00120, Vatican City. But before you put your best pen-to-paper, I will fill you in on a few facts of the Christian and more so, the Catholic Church. August 15th is not merely an old fisherman’s tale turned into an excuse for creating parking mayhem in Almuñécar but is one of the Catholic Churches most important feast days i.e. the celebrating of the assumption of Virgin Mary’s body and soul to Heaven. It is a national holiday in most Catholic/Christian countries such as Austria, Belgium, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland, but not the UK. Hence, this explains the ‘Virgin Mary’ bit of the whole occasion. So, amalgamating it with San Juan, the feast day of St John the Baptist, another very important day in the Catholic Calendar, would be slightly ridiculous. However, if you do drop a letter to His Holiness, see if he could move Christmas to maybe, September so we could have cheap airline tickets a couple of weeks before New Year.
I was going to reply fully, but I decided not to waste valuable pixels, as I don’t know where to start.
Is it only us guiris, that have no experience of the internal workings of the Ayuntamiento or tourist qualifications, that can see the year on year problems here? Oh, if only we had at least a municipal market car-park…
End of the day parking is a premium in Amunecar and the lack of car parks shows and adds to the frustration. For us the problem is solved by buying a scooter but that only benefits us. Maybe park and ride but make the parking at a competitive rate to attract the deal and frequent transport. Your are telling me that there are not enough vacant spaces around to be used. But hey I am not the Mayor or town planner, but I do know the nightmare of trying to park a car in Almunecar and the surrounding areas
A sound suggestion, hard to see any downsides with it even for local politicians….