Beach barred: Orihuela preps beaches amidst ongoing bar delay

At the end of February, a month before Holy Week, Orihuela was gearing up for beach season.

They had set up wooden walkways on the sand to provide easy access to the eleven beaches in the area.

Orihuela boasts 16 kilometres of coastline, making it a hotspot for tourists and second-home owners, especially during Holy Week.

Despite ensuring essential services like walkways, lifeguards, and functional toilets – all highly sought after by beachgoers – there’s a holdup with the beach bars which have been closed since January 2023.

The city is still waiting for the necessary documentation from the selected companies to finalise the contracts.

Several companies have bid for the beach bar contracts, which cover four years with a total value exceeding €2.5M.

One proposal even includes offering water sports.

The contracts are divided into four lots, with La Caleta and Aguamarina being the most coveted, while Cala Bosque, Cala Cerrada, and Cala Capitán are also up for grabs.

The lifeguard service is secured under the previous contract, but a new tender worth €3.8M until 2027 (with a possible extension to 2028) has been put out, ensuring safety on the beaches for the coming years.