Historic El Morche beachside football pitch to be torn up after 60 years
Coastal authorities order the removal of the 1960s facility to restore the Axarquía shoreline, while Torrox town hall fights to save the local summer fair site
Eugenio Cabezas
Thursday, 5 March 2026, 16:38
For six decades, the clay football pitch in El Morche has been a geographical and legal outlier - a permanent sports facility carved into the sand.
Built in the 1960s, long before the 1988 Coastal Law redefined Spain’s shoreline, the pitch existed in a state of permanent "limbo."
The arrival of the demolition order for March 9 marks the final whistle for this historic site.
At a glance:
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Restoring the Natural Beach: The coastal authority's 's goal is to return the land to its "natural characteristics." In an era of climate change and coastal protection, a permanent clay pitch on public maritime land is an unsustainable relic.
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The Successor is Ready: The opening of the Santa Rosa sports complex in November 2025 - a €9 million investment - finally provided El Morche’s athletes with the modern facilities they deserved, effectively removing the functional need for the beach pitch.
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The Fairground Dilemma: The real tension now isn't about football, but culture. The pitch doubles as the heart of the El Morche Fair in August. Mayor Óscar Medina’s team is now in a race to ensure that "restoring the beach" doesn't mean "canceling the tradition."
In a document sent to Torrox town hall by the Coastal Authority (Costas) to which SUR has had access, the authority argues that, after providing the club with a new sports facility on a different site, "it is appropriate, in accordance with current legislation, to remove the old football pitch and restore the area to its natural beach characteristics".
The legal situation was one of the arguments behind the construction of the new Santa Rosa sports complex, which was officially opened in November 2025 after more than three decades of demands from local residents.
The new sports complex still has work pending on its stands and several associated areas, at a total estimated cost of nine million euros.
In its letter to the town hall, Costas reports that the demolition and restoration work is scheduled to begin on 9 March.
However, the document clarifies that this does not mean that municipal activities previously authorised by the Andalusian regional government cannot continue to be carried out in the area, provided that they are compatible with current coastal regulations.
The PP government team has explained to SUR that the main municipal concern is not focused on the removal of the pitch now that the new venue is already operational, but on ensuring the continuity of the El Morche fair, which is traditionally held in mid-August on the same site.
