Grilled Sardines a la Vista!

Chiringuito la Dorada de Plata on San Cristóbal Beach in Almuñécar has reopened it doors at last after spending three months closed with its staff out of work.

ALM Chiringuito La Dorada de PlataThe closure was the result of an occupant of a vacacional flat near Chinasol complaining about the smell of sardines coming from the chiringuito’s espeto boat. Bear in mind that whereas chiringuitos were allowed to BBQ sardines (espetos) over a small pit for a fire in the sand, they all had to go to the expense of putting the open wood-coal BBQs within raised structures, normally an old rowing boat or something made to look like one.

The owner of the Dorada de Plata has had to build a pergola over the BBQ boat with an extractor in its roof, which everybody knows won’t make much difference if there is a breeze blowing but at least it should satisfy the idiotocracy within bureaucracy.

It was in 2019 that the Town Hall sent a letter to the owners of chiringuitos with wood-coal BBQs telling them to do something about the smoke and smell. Most were able to get round it with extractors

El Chiringuito La Dorada de Plata first opened its door in 1966 long before people, who come in the summer, started complaining about one of the essences of summers on a beach. Back then, fishermen would land with their catch and then grill some of it, right there on the beach… and nobody complained, in fact tourists would be out there clicking away with cameras to have a photo of this ‘typically Spanish’ custom. Well, La Dorada de Plata has been grilling sardines over an open, wood-coal BBQ ever since… until last October.

Well, no thanks to the person who complained about the smell of smoke and sardines, 18 families who depended on the chiringuito to put food on their table with their wages, can return to work.

It will never cease to amaze many of us that people come to the coast to spend their summer holidays, looking for peace and quiet…

(Editorial/Opinion: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)

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