Another Spanish town introduces restrictions on tourists – affecting thousands
A PICTURESQUE European holiday destination has revealed plans to limit the number of passengers disembarking from nearby cruise ships.
Set along the coast of the Costa Brava, Cadaqués is a popular spot for holidaymakers thanks to its beautiful beaches and secluded coves.
Every summer the tiny Spanish town sees more than 30,000 visitors, despite only having around 2,900 residents.
In a bid to reduce the number of day-trippers, Cadaqués City Council has introduced new rules that halve the number of holidaymakers disembarking from nearby cruise ships.
The pilot scheme starts today (Thursday August 1, 2024) and will take place throughout August, with the success of the initiative being assessed at the end of the month.
Two cruise companies that operate from a nearby port have agreed to reduce the number of daily visitors from their vessels by 50 per cent.
Only 450 passengers will be able to disembark from the cruise ships every day.
Cruise ship passengers who visit Cadaqués in the morning will be allowed to stay in the Spanish town all day.
Other cruise ship passengers will have the option to swim or take part in water activities in a nearby area from the same boat.
The new measure aims to reduce overcrowding at Es Portal, the main beach in Cadaqués, where tourists boats usually dock.
In the summer months, the large tourist crowds also cause mobility issues for locals.
Manel Rahola, who is the Maritime Services councilor for Cadaqués City Council, said: “It is a real problem that affects the mobility and safety of people.
“The streets are narrow and it’s dangerous; if there are crowds, it’s difficult to walk around, and that’s why we’ve decided to take action.”
And Cadaqués isn’t the only destination in Spain that has revealed plans to stop cruise ships from docking in recent months.
OTHER CRUISE SHIP BANS
Earlier this year, the Committee on Tourism, Trade, Employment, Culture and Sport reportedly approved an initiative to reintroduce a cap on cruise ships to Palma.
The proposal calls on the Balearic Government to reach an agreement with the cruise lines and shipping agents, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reports.
The Balearic Government had previously reached an agreement with the shipping companies to regulate the arrival of cruise ships in Palma in May 2022.
It saw ship arrivals staggered to a maximum of three per day, of which only one of them could have a capacity of more than 5,000 passengers.
It came two years after Mallorca’s government called for a ban on all cruise ships in a measure aimed at “protecting our main sector and achieving a more sustainable tourism”.
Politicians are now keen to implement a new set of rules on cruise ships in terms of taxation, the environment or the use of less polluting fuels to lower those numbers once more.
If a fresh ban is implemented, however, it would follow that of the one placed on Venice in 2021.
Everything you need to know about visiting Spain
- Brits must have at least three months left on their passport from the day they plan to leave the country.
- Tourists do not need a visa if visiting for up to 90 days in an 180-day period.
- Make sure your passport is stamped on entry and exit.
- Travellers may be asked to show hotel booking confirmations and that they have enough money for their stay at the border.
- Spain is one hour ahead of the UK.
- The country uses the euro with around €10 working out to £8.55.
- Flights to Spain from the UK take between 2-4 hours depending on the destination.
Meanwhile, a new tourist tax is also being imposed in the city of Portimão on Portugal’s Algarve coast.
Portimão’s Mayor Isilda Gomes said the tourist tax could raise “a few million euros” for the city.