New battle at historic Trafalgar site
More than 200 years after Lord Nelson’s famous victory over Napoleon’s fleet, a new “Battle of Trafalgar” is raging over the future of the coastal headland that gave its name to the naval clash.
The lighthouse on Cape Trafalgar has withstood the winds on a promontory near Spain’s southernmost tip since 1860, becoming an iconic beauty spot that locals are now fighting to protect amid plans to convert the building into a restaurant and an information centre about the 1805 battle.
Almost 10,000 residents have signed a petition to block the proposed development on a protected area that is home to a “double tombolo”, a rare coastal formation consisting of a sandy isthmus that connects two popular beaches between the towns of Los Caños de Meca and Zahora.
Lola Yllescas, from environmental organisation Ecologistas en Acción, said: “The citizens of the area want the lighthouse to remain as it is today, with its well-preserved dune system, vegetation, lagoons and bird life, and with non-motorised access.”
The organisation argues that the dunes and local wildlife will be affected by an ever-greater influx of tourists.
“The banalisation and lack of responsibility of our political leaders regarding historical, landscape and environmental values is extraordinary,” Yllescas said.
The planned centre will include a mod
el of the battle, and signs explaining the formation of the two opposing fleets, with the visit “complemented by a gastronomic offer in the restaurant with the atmosphere of the Battle of Trafalgar”.
Miguel Molina, the local mayor, has defended the scheme, saying it will bring economic benefits, and improve the options for beachgoers and tourists.
As well as the petition, hundreds of local residents have been mounting demonstrations around the lighthouse since December, with some holding signs referring to a “new battle of Trafalgar”.
The protest platform Los Caños Denuncia said its aim was to guarantee protection for the monument and the natural area.
On the petition page run by the group, it said: “The Trafalgar Lighthouse is more than just a lighthouse for those of us who were born or have lived here, or have enjoyed this natural paradise. It is a symbol of local identity that guides us all.
“This historical heritage must be preserved for future generations and not exploited by private commercial interests, [and] its conservation as historical heritage open to the public should be guaranteed”.
For Estela Catena, an anthropologist and member of the protest platform, the idea of putting a restaurant inside the historical lighthouse “is a symbol of the touristification of the area”, which she said was one of the few parts of the Spanish coast that remained “practically virgin”.
Speaking to the newspaper El Salto, Catena also claimed that the company that has been granted the concession to run the planned restaurant and visitor centre had a history of failing to comply with rules regarding capacity and licences. “They haven’t exactly given it to a company that cares for the environment.”
Opponents of the project maintain hope of victory, partly thanks to the rich historical value of the Cape Trafalgar area.
The platform said the company still had to obtain a positive report from the regional Andalusian government, which will consider any possible risk posed to Roman archaeological sites near the lighthouse.
There is also opposition to the plan on the basis that the centre would exist to tell the story of what was a Spanish military loss.
“As always, praising the defeats of our country,” noted one reader of Diario de Cádiz, a local newspaper.–