€12 charge for beach parking
New system is designed to protect cove
A DAY at the beach will become expensive this summer in Benitachell – even if you own a holiday home there.
The council is now charging €12 a day to park at Cala Moraig – although stays of under 20 minutes are free.
An unmanned registration-plate reading system means there is no other way of getting into the car park, which is open from 09.00 to 19.00.
Residents – those on the municipal census (padrón) – do not have to pay, as long as their vehicle is registered for local tax purposes in Benitachell. They do not have to take any action, since their registration number will automatically be logged in the system.
Tickets do not need to be displayed in the windscreen, but owners of any vehicle found parked there for more than 20 minutes without paying will be fined.
Whilst those living permanently or most of the year in Benitachell will still be able to use Cala Moraig without spending a fortune, the move excludes second-home owners, even if they spend many months there every year.
Digital information boards will be set up throughout Benitachell and surrounding areas detailing how many parking spaces are still vacant ‘to prevent wasted journeys’, and residents or visitors are able prebook via the website Cala moraig.es or the mobile phone application Reservas Cala Moraig.
The town hall has said the move is to protect the fragile ecosystem of this secluded rural bay, as vehicle and visitor numbers were ‘getting too much’ for it.
Parking is free of charge after October 15 and before April 1 every year, reminded the town hall.