CAMPER VANS NOW INVADE CABO DE SAN ANTONIO VIEWPOINT

After the local council acted to prevent camper vans and other RVs from invading the seafront of Xàbia, it seems that the preventative measures have only resulted in moving the problem elsewhere, specifically to the viewpoint of Cabo de Sant Antoni which is located inside a natural park.

As reported in Xàbiaaldía.com, the association ‘Cultura Sostenible Dénia’ has expressed its concern about the growing problem of pollution at the popular Cabo de Sant Antoni viewpoint which is located inside the Parque Natural del Montgó. According to sources from the association who visited the viewpoint at around midday on New Year’s Day, they found the parking area completely occupied by camper vans which prevented other visitors from parking. Upon further investigation, these sources decided to investigate the state of the viewpoint with regards to rubbish and other contamination.

Having previously reported the presence of human excrement, cigarette butts and general rubbish strewn across the area, the presence of the camper vans appears to have exacerbated the problem with the sources claiming that there is evidence of the owners of these vehicles discharging both their grey water and black water systems into the surrounding natural area, resulting in a persistent bad smell that attracts insects and increases the risk of disease in people and animals.

Although the site was cleaned up after last year’s complaint, the association said that the problem has returned and possibly got even worse, even observing one of the camper van owners removing his waste water tanks and apparently emptying them into the bushes surrounding the parking area, clearly contributing to the problem.

Having visited other viewpoints along the coast, the association confirms that the Cabo de Sant Antoni area is the one with the biggest problem of pollution with a notable amount of discarded cigarette butts, rubbish and human excrement and warns that the problem will only get worse during the summer due to the lack rain and the increase in rubbish left by visitors.

Given the poor state of the viewpoint, the association has proposed that the area be temporarily closed to protect it and prevent further damage to the environment. It also reaffirmed its commitment to continuing its cleanup and awareness efforts – “the fact that others are uneducated will never be a reason for us to stop doing something good for nature” – and called on both the local authorities and community to take urgent measures to protect this valuable natural space and promote a culture of respect and care for the environment among visitors and residents of the region.