Nerja orders closure of popular river beauty spot

Nerja town hall has taken the drastic decision to close the popular Chíllar river beauty spot to the public as of Thursday 10 August. The decision has been taken due to the high risk of fire and to put a stop to the overcrowding, according to a town hall statement.

After its closure in the summers of 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, in 2022 the area became accessible again and so far this summer hundreds of people have visited it every day. However, there is still no control of visitor numbers at the site, which is endangering flora and fauna, increasing the risk of fires and has led to a number of accidents in recent years. The town hall said in the statement that the closure is “a precautionary measure" as there is a "high risk of forest fires".

The statement went on to say that the decision has been made “on the basis of several reports from various agencies, including Seprona [the Guardia Civil’s nature protection service], the provincial firefighters’ consortium and Civil Protection, which warn of the high fire danger.”

Other reports, including the provincial Infoca fire plan, point out, "The already existing risks are multiplying alarmingly, both in terms of fires due to the high temperatures and the large influx of people." Nerja’s environment councillor, Javier Rodríguez, explained that the measure has been taken “above all, to protect people".